The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) is in the process of relocating thirty-five households squatting on a government reserve earmarked for the highway at Cane View, East Bank Demerara.
Today, Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal, and a technical team visited the area to assess the relocation and resettlement process, a release from the CHPA said.
Croal said that the Ministry has been engaging residents since January 2021 and lands were identified at the Farm and Herstelling housing schemes in August for their relocation. The cost of the relocation process will be borne by the government and the squatters are being compensated for their homes based on a valuation of each property conducted by the Valuation Office.
The release said that to date, 31 families have accepted the Government’s offer, with 26 taking up their house lot and ten fully relocated following the completion of their homes.
“The areas we are relocating them to are developed housing schemes and are in close proximity to where they are currently occupying. It is also better than their current situation because we will be giving them ownership documents to the land and they can have access to utilities such as electricity and water,” the Minister said.
One of the squatters, Sheldon Allen, who recently moved to his new home in Herstelling said that the relocation offers his family a better standard of living and a safer community.
Meanwhile, Marlon Forde, who was squatting for close to twenty years and also recently moved to his new home in Herstelling, stated that he is pleased with it and Ministry’s response to the situation, the release said.
While most of the squatters have initiated the relocation process, four families have refused to engage the agency, the release said.
Croal stated that the agency will continue to pursue the relocation of these four families, as the Ministry cannot allow stalling of the multi-billion highway, which will relieve traffic congestion for thousands of commuters along the East Bank Demerara corridor.