– complaints taken to police for action

RESIDENTS of Cholmondley Hill, Wismar, Linden are calling on the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to intervene in the squatting activity taking place in their community, which has resulted in several issues of concern. During a visit to the area by this publication, several residents noted that the situation is very distressing, as every day more squatters are joining the bandwagon and erecting houses, whether temporary or permanent structures.

The residents explained that the area is prone to erosion, since it is very hilly. They said too that the area that the squatters are occupying is actually part of government reserves and should not be inhabited. “When rain fall, the water does be washing down on our area, and it is happening more so that they are building there, because that area is not to build on and now our legal land is being threatened,” one resident said.

An illegal sandpit is also being used to construct the houses and this is also resulting in erosion in the area. The residents revealed that one squatter erected a shack and had no toilet facility and would defecate in bags and discard of it in the neighbourhood, causing much discomfort to the neighbours. When he was confronted about it, it turned out into a heated argument, this newspaper was told.

Apart from that argument, the squatters would themselves get involved in verbal and physical fights over the unregulated plots of land. As such, the residents are fearful for their security and are in dire need of intervention. “Some people are buying lands from people right in the community. One girl said she buy a plot of land for $80,000 and when you ask her for the receipt, she can’t produce it, then other people coming and say they buy the same plot of land and is causing fights in the area,” said one resident.

The unregulated area that is now being occupied was previously used as a short cut to get to other parts of the community. Some of the main users of the short cut were elderly members of the AME church located just behind the squatting area; and now the members are forced to use a taxi to get to church. “That is very unfair to those old people that using the short cut for years now and now they fence off and block off the place and the people have to find taxi money from their little pension.” The residents revealed that a few weeks ago, someone was robbed at the fenced-off area, since petty thieves are using it as a hide-out spot, knowing that there is limited visibility there.

The youth in the community are also being inconvenienced, since they previously used the area to play outdoor sports; but now with it being occupied, the residents are worried that the youth will now gravitate to unconstructive activities. They are calling on the CH&PA and the regional authorities to look into the matter urgently before it gets further out of hand. “Maybe they can put up a sign on these lands to say ‘no trespassing’ or something to stop people from occupying them, because is not only here it happening , is all over and just how other people have to wait for their land, everybody should wait until they get a piece of legal land,” another resident said.

Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland, expressed his disagreement over illegal squatters, especially around the Danju Hill area which is also prone to erosion. “We have to discourage persons from squatting and so on. Some persons are squatting at areas that are very dangerous. Recently, council had to come down on some structures going up on Danju Hill…people are squatting…,” he said.

Minister of Communities with responsibility for housing, Valerie Yearwood, also expressed her disagreement several times over squatting and told this publication that the perpetrators will be prosecuted. Commander of ‘E’ Division, Anthony Vanderhyden, told this publication last week that several cases of squatting have been reported to his office and the police are working along with the Ministry of Communities to get the issues resolved.