–Sophia residents tell CHPA officials

THE steady stream of squatters that continues to invade sections of Sophia, now referred to as South Georgetown, is said to be causing a delay in developmental works in the communities.

At least this is according to residents who have been allotted their house lots during the regularisation process. While the area has not yet been officially handed over to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), residents are aware that sooner than later they will be required to begin paying their rates and taxes.

With this in mind, they say it is only fair that their immediate needs be addressed.

The issue was raised on Sunday during a massive turnout of residents from ‘A’ and ‘B’ Fields at the Sophia Primary School to meet with officials of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA). The consultation was held to inform residents about the Ministry of Communities’ reformulation of the road network programme.

Residents raised a number of issues, among them the problem of improper drainage and irrigation, which they say has been causing major discomfort whenever it rains.

One resident, James Hermonstine, told officials that residents had made several requests to the Ministry to have the ‘A’ Field canal desilted.

“They are willing to do it, but because of the influx of squatters on the dam, they don’t have the machine,” Hermonstine said. “The machine that they have available to move that desilting is the track machine, but because of the squatters on the dam, they are hindered to do the desilting work,” he told the three-member team.

SQUATTING HOUSES

According to the resident, previously, there were just about 13 squatters; now there are over 55 squatting houses.

“When you have flood, the faeces and so on flows in to the residential area where people who are qualified to live in their homes are suffering. Now it is not fair,” Hermonstine lamented.

He said that even if residents decide that they want to form a self-help group to clean the canal, they cannot do so because of the many illegal electrical wires that are exposed and running along the trench.

“I am saying that there is no sense we do this; no sense we put up street lights and we have no proper drainage,” Hermonstine said, in reference to the reformulation plans.

Responding to the concerns that were raised at the meeting on Sunday, Community Development Director, Gladwin Charles, said the issue remains a worrisome one for the Ministry of Communities, but that officials will this week be meeting to hold discussions on the relocation plans for squatters.

He noted that since the announcement some weeks ago, by the minister responsible for housing, that the government would be looking for an area to relocate those persons on the reserves, the number of squatters has grown considerably.

“We notice that more people are going on the dams; they think that if they go there, they will qualify,” Charles said, adding:
“But that is not the case. We have all the information as to who are the people are there, and those are the people we will be dealing with; not the new persons.”

TOTAL REGULARISATION

He, however, made a call for persons who are in a “desperate” situation to visit the ministry and make their application. He emphasised that the ministry is focused on total regularisation, and hopes that every person who chooses to live in the community would come to that realisation as well.

According to Charles, the ministry is also working on a plan to hand over the community to the M&CC, so that more developmental work could be done. “It may look like we are ignoring it, but that is not the case,” he said.

Back in June, the CHPA had said it was engaging financial agencies, including the Inter-American Bank (IDB,) to secure funding for low-cost housing.

Minister Valerie Adams-Patterson had said at the time that the intention was to improve the conditions under which the people live. Specific emphasis, she said, would be placed on Sophia and East and West Ruimveldt in Georgetown.

“It makes no sense you remove a squatter and give them a piece of land; they are going to move the very shack they’re living in to that location,” she said, adding:
“You are just transferring a shanty town from one area to the next; and that is not what this government wants for our people…
“So, my belief is that we must be able to have some low-cost houses built; whether self-help or others.”

The CHPA said it hopes to improve the living standards of persons, in keeping with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of ensuring access to safe and affordable housing. It hopes to relocate close to 12,000 persons.