Dear Editor,
The ‘running sore’ of squatting in Guyana must end. It is illegal and immoral and has horrible consequences across all domains. Squatting is generally referred to as informal housing, whereby, for a variety of existential, legal, political and ideological reasons, people settle on vacant land or occupy abandoned buildings, both private and public. I recall that Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, voicing that “Squatting is illegal and comes with known consequences including the reality of structures being demolished by landowners.” And he is absolutely spot-on. So, as expected, I was on the side of the government, when I read that the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) vehemently ‘warned’ all and sundry against illegal land occupation in Linden.
The now known situation is that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Sherwyn Greaves is speaking out against what is obtaining in Linden. He conveyed that the CH&PA “… has reaffirmed its stance against squatting and illegal land activities.” This is the legal national policy, even though the statement was engendered by “… the rise in unauthorised occupation of residential lots and illegal construction on land that had been properly allocated to families through legitimate channels.” Editor, too many are the occasions of this horrible practice, which has only negatives for outcomes. Worldwide, the effects of squatter settlements include high mortality rates, high crime rates, unsafe living conditions, and pollution. What is quite weird is that the government of the day is on an ever-increasing drive to house the nation, and has been prioritising land allocation to individuals. There is a due process, a minimal fee and even soft loans to allow for individuals to possess title and build homes. So, I am baffled.
I remind that “… the Ministry is committed to serving all eligible applicants and is actively seeking additional lands through National Industrial & Commer-cial Investments Limited (NICIL) and the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) to meet growing demands, (also there are) ongoing efforts to enhance the region’s infrastructure, with an additional $80 million earmarked for road network upgrades in the area.” So, what is the issue? And this is not new. On one hand, we have the good and abiding citizens who are submitting to due processes, and reaping the deserved benefits, but on the on the other side, there are “… some individuals (who) have been fraudulently selling allocated lots and advising buyers to claim false occupation dating back to 2017.” Greaves rightfully “… issued a stern warning to those affected by such deceptive practices, stating that any illegal structures erected on these lands are at risk of demolition … (adding that) the ministry is under no obligation to acknowledge or honour any claims resulting from these illicit activities.”
Reflecting on this conning of some people, I thought of the recent issues in that area, where illegalities were used by some politicians for cheap points. Back in March, many squatters were preventing hundreds of families who were ‘legally’ allocated residential house lots in Phase Four, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10, from occupying their lands. This created some very volatile situations as contractors who were attempting to execute infrastructure works in the area, were met with harsh opposition by a group of persons claiming to be farmers. In fact, on an occasion or two, workers were being assaulted and machinery damaged. I reiterate, nothing good can come out of squatting. What can be very irksome is that there is no need for this, as all the while back, the government has been making tremendous efforts to regularise existing squatting areas, and as such there must not be any condoning in terms of fraudulent practices nor illegal occupation at any time and any place. It must be a ‘no’ from the government.
So far, the government has been very aggressive in its housing drive, seeking to allocate thousands of house lots to Guyanese citizens across the country, and therefore there is absolutely no need for persons to engage in squatting, nor attempt to profit by committing crimes of falsification of any sort. The track record is fabulous, and it keeps getting better: Some 1,644 lots in 13 squatting areas in several regions have been regularised, benefitting hundreds of households between 2020 and 2023. For this year alone, eight squatting areas have been earmarked for regularisation in Regions Three and Four, benefitting 479 households. My word: Be legal. Be patient.
Sincerely,
HB Singh