The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is preparing a comprehensive squatter regularization, and relocation plan as part of addressing the country’s squatting issues.

Senior Community Development Officer of the Ministry of Communities, Donna Bess-Bascom told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that there are some areas persons have squatted on, that are considered zero-tolerance or not suitable to become housing areas eventually.

“As such in those areas, persons would need to be relocated, and so as part of our strategy, we intend to have the squatter regularisation and relocation plan completed, that would encompass all of the areas that are to be regularised, as well as those that cannot be regularised.”

The Ministry of Communities through the CH&PA has been taking steps towards bringing an end to squatting. It has been advancing a focus on regularising those areas that are not zero tolerance areas, and are conducive to healthy living and relocating to areas more suitable for housing development, squatters who are living in zero-tolerance areas that are unsafe and unfit for housing.

More than 700 structures occupy state reserves in Georgetown and its environs, and the government is moving to change this situation.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing Valerie Adams-Patterson, at a recent press conference said the ministry would be moving to clean up all these squatting areas, “one at a time.”

The minister had noted that squatting is against the thrust of the government’s policy to develop holistic housing solutions for citizens. She also said that the CH&PA has identified at least one area to relocate the squatters where they would look to build rent-to-own houses. (GINA)