The construction of 20 homes at Prospect, East Bank Demerara, is set to commence within the next two months to facilitate the relocation of squatters from the Lombard Street squatting area.
The Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA) last Thursday met with residents of the Lombard Street squatting area to discuss their relocation, which has been in the works for a year and a half.
According to a press release from the CH&PA, at the meeting, which was held at the Ketley Primary School, Chief Executive Officer of the authority Lelon Saul and other officials informing residents that some would be relocated to Prospect on the East Bank of Demerara, while others would be moved to Cummings Lodge, on the East Coast. Saul also used the meeting to apologise to the residents for the delay in relocating them.
The relocation is expected to take place within the next few months, with the first 20 households from the squatting area being moved to Prospect. Saul indicated that the Food for the Poor (FFP), which has been working in support of the entity from the initial stages of the relocation project, is still on board as a partner.
Stabroek News had previously reported that FFP would be contributing $43 million to the $70 million development project, which would go toward funding the construction of homes.
According to information provided by the CH&PA, construction of the first 20 homes will commence within the next two months at Prospect, with an additional 10 weeks anticipated for the completion of the project.
The CEO later indicated that there will be a lottery process in March to determine the first 20 families to be relocated to the Prospect area.
The other families will, however, be relocated later this year, after the development of lands at the Cummings Lodge area.
Previous reports indicated that the move has been in the works since the APNU+AFC coalition entered office in 2015.
On July 31st, 2017, residents were told that they would be moved to Barnwell North in Mocha but the relocation plan did not come to fruition as the land was unsuitable due to the condition of the soil. It was later announced that CH&PA had looked into relocating the squatters to Cummings Lodge.
