SQUATTERS constructing new buildings on government’s reserves in the Sophia/Cummings Lodge area can see these illegal structures being pulled to pieces as soon as today, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lelon Saul has warned.

“We will break down all buildings under construction…. All structures under construction will be taken down,” Saul told reporters on Tuesday while standing in proximity to the Lamaha Conservancy in Sophia where squatters are in the process of erecting illegal structures on the dam.

On Tuesday, new structures were seen being constructed on government’s reserve, including concrete buildings, but CH&PA made it clear that the construction of new structures would not be tolerated.
Saul said the demolition exercise would be carried out within the next two weeks, but could start as soon as today. Security systems are in place to ensure that the demolition team would not be hindered in the execution of its job.
“We have all systems in place to address that, to address all acts of disobedience or anyone who would want to cause harm to the persons involved in the exercise,” he explained.

While CH&PA has given persons squatting on government’s reserves in Sophia up until January 30, 2018 to remove their structures, the CEO said squatting remains a serious concern with environmental, health, social and economic implications. There are over 500 persons squatting in the Sophia/Cumming’s Lodge area.
On Tuesday, a team from the CH&PA led by the CEO gave media operatives a first-hand view of the impact of squatting in the Sophia/Cummings Lodge area with specific focus on the areas lining the Lamaha Conservancy.
At a glance, the water-logged, garbage-faeces-strewn, mosquito-infested surroundings were hard to ignore. In other cases, the makeshift houses were surrounded by overgrown vegetation impeding the draining network in the area.
Illegal occupancy means that the squatters are not serviced by Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and Guyana Power and Light (GPL), and as such, they have adopted illegal means of acquiring, for instance, electricity.
Squatting in proximity to the Lamaha Water Conservancy is a major health and environmental concern, the CH&PA CEO emphasised, noting that it is a source of drinking water.

“There are persons squatting on the dam, pit latrines are also in close proximity of the conservancy… apart from that, people swim inside of the conservancy, they dump trash inside of the conservancy and these are the things we are trying to combat to ensure the safety of citizens,” Saul stated.
A number of illegal structures were seen lining the dam of the conservancy in addition to government’s reserves in other locations within the Sophia/Cummings Lodge area.
Reiterating that the CH&PA has zero tolerance for the construction of new structures, Saul noted that the close to 300 squatters who have been given eviction notices with a deadline of January 31, 2018 must relocate once they have viable alternatives.
“We hope to work with those persons and we will do it taking into consideration all of the challenges those people are confronted with,” he posited.
For those persons who would have difficulties, Saul said the housing authority has committed to assisting them.

“We will work with the residents to find a viable alternative. Come January 31, 2018, if there are people still on the reserve and there is no other viable alternative, we will continue to work with these people to ensure that we find suitable accommodation for them,” he explained.

The CH&PA is encouraging all squatters to submit their applications for house- lots.
During a press conference on Monday, Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, stated that the CH&PA is in the process of implementing a plan that will offer houselots to those persons who can afford to build.

For those unable to construct a dwelling, the government is seeking funding to build core homes. Industry has been identified as the area where the homes will be constructed.
“We don’t just want to give them a houselot because we know if they can’t afford to build, they are going to put a shack and all we are doing is moving one shanty town from one area to another. That is not what we want, as we relocate, we are going to upgrade,” Minister Adams-Yearwood explained. She reminded that the exercise will be a costly one and persons must be patient.