There are 173 squatter areas across regions Two to Six, and regions Nine and Ten which have been identified as being suitable for regularization, according to Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Director for Community Development Gladwin Charles.
Of the 173 areas identified, 159 of them have been surveyed, Charles told a press conference last Monday. The surveys for the remainder, he said, are in various stages of completion.
So far, Charles said 500 lots have been created and that 2,400 lots will ultimately be created through current regularisation efforts once the surveys are done.
About 85% of the lots have been regularised, that is, ownership has been verified, and the process of titling has commenced.
Charles made specific mention of an area in Lethem, Region Nine, where 73 persons had been squatting since the early 90’s. Now, he said, 525 lots have been created, making the development one of the largest schemes in Region Nine.
The regularisaton of Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam, Region Six, where persons and their parents before them have squatted for decades, was among the key achievements of the CH&PA for 2019, according to Charles.
Charles said that in July 300 persons who completed payments received titles. CH&PA, he added, was awarding more titles once applicants completed their payments. There are approximately 1,008 lots in that area.
Earlier in the year, the CH&PA moved to get Angoy’s Avenue residents to apply for their land titles. At that time, Charles had noted that Regularisation commenced in 2013, when the ownership of the land was transferred to CH&PA. He said it was only this year that the Authority sorted out the “block title” for the squatting area, which made it possible to begin the titling process.
Meanwhile, Charles told last week’s news conference that Sophia is one of the largest areas, in terms of a target for regularisation, containing approximately 5,549 lots. He mentioned that efforts so far have resulted in approximately 85% of the lots being verified, with around 75% of persons already having received their titles.
Relocation
On the subject of relocation, which is said to be a bigger challenge, Charles said the Authority is working with persons currently squatting on reserves in Sophia. Over 500 of these persons have been interviewed towards relocation.
The CH&PA, Charles said, is also working with persons who required relocation from the Broad and Lombard streets squatting area. He said 20 houses have been completed at Prospect and it is expected that the houses would be handed over this week.
The homes were constructed under a $31 million project that was a collaboration between the CH&PA and Food for the Poor and the first phase of the planned relocation for squatters from the area. Those 20 families were given priority based on households with young children, especially those who are attending school.
Phase Two is expected to see 50 families having their home constructed at Cummings Lodge.
