– housing ministers interact with residents

RESIDENTS of Block X, Liliendaal, Sophia, will benefit from a comprehensive housing policy and proper data collection mechanisms that will see a humanitarian approach in dealing with informal settlement.

This was revealed Tuesday, after residents, through their community leaders, reached out to the ministers of housing, citing their feelings of neglect, when it comes to house lot allocation.
During their visit, Ministers of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues, conducted a walk-about and fact-finding mission in that community.
They engaged residents of Block X Liliendaal (Section A) and Block (R) Turkeyen and assured them that the strong-armed approach is a thing of the past but a rather inclusive and humanitarian stance will be adopted and implemented.

Minister Croal said his ministry has always adopted a zero-tolerance approach to informal settlement and a comprehensive plan will have to be formulated to address the issue in the near future.

He urged residents to be patient with the agency and to cooperate with the staff in their bid to effectively address housing issues.
The minister also assured residents that their issue will be addressed with some urgency as the agency is formulating a comprehensive housing policy which will cater to the needs of all.
He noted that the agency will be giving priority to the matter since, in some instances, squatting impedes on infrastructure development.
Minister Rodrigues echoed similar sentiments, saying she has been active in the community prior to taking up her ministerial post and, unfortunately, witnessed firsthand, people’s houses being demolished.

She assured the residents that this will not be the new administration’s approach and noted that a more humanitarian one will be taken.
In so doing, she stressed the need for a proper data collection mechanism which will guide the relocation and resettlement process.
“We need to fix the situation; we are looking for your full cooperation; we commit to working to put this situation to rest and resolving it in a way where everyone is satisfied,” the minister said.

She too reminded residents that the agency was dealing with a backlog of applications which has now reached a total of 62,000 active applications as she pleaded with them to be patient.
Though only a few days in office and having been briefed on the issue of informal settlement (squatting), the ministers opted to give residents an audience.
Some residents complained that, late last year, they were invited to an outreach where they were made to add their names and contact information to a list after which contact would have been made when lands were available.

To date, the residents said they had not been contacted. Fearful of having their properties, which are all on the government’s reserve, demolished, the residents said they thought it best to engage the subject ministers.
“We have no intention of living on the dam for the rest of our life; we are willing to move if we are given lands,” one resident lamented.