By Vishani Ragobeer

THE squatters occupying lands at Success, East Coast Demerara (ECD) are hopeful for a permanent solution to their woes as they continue to occupy the lands which will be used by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Squatters have been occupying the Success lands that belong to GuySuCo for months. The corporation has begun flooding the lands to prepare for the resumption of cultivation after years of dormancy, and it has been emphasised that these persons cannot stay on the lands.

On Wednesday, a large group of squatters attempted to stop an excavator sent to fill a canal before GuySuCo’s land preparation could continue. Though the squatters were unable to stop that from occurring, they used the opportunity to once again highlight their grievances.

Junior (only name given) is a young man who does carpentry. He applied for a house lot in 2015 after the previous government was sworn in, hoping that he would be successful. He has not been able to secure a house lot, and with the loss of work due to the COVID-19 epidemic, he said he was forced to find somewhere to squat.

“I just want me own place to live when the day done, I don’t care if it’s (at) Success or anywhere here. I really just want somewhere to live,” he said.

Though the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has prepared a temporary shelter at the Graham’s Hall Primary School — replete with meals and amenities — Junior does not want to go there. He said the environment is not dignifying to him.

Another squatter, Abeena (only name given), also highlighted that she too was hesitant to occupy the shelter since she sees it as a “short-term thing” and not a long-term solution to her grievance; she has applied for a house lot for a number of years as well.

Sybil, another squatter, highlighted that the vulnerable squatters were not trying to stir up trouble for political actors. Instead, she highlighted that many of the squatters like herself believe that they are left with no alternative.

“Whoever help we, they gon get we votes,” she said seriously.

Recently, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo told the Guyana Chronicle that the government will provide assistance to some of the squatters. This assistance, he added, would be getting them land to live on.

Recently, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) began streamlining the land applications of squatters occupying those lands unlawfully, in an attempt to provide some redress. The CEO of the CH&PA, Sherywn Greaves, in an invited comment said the authority was doing all that it could to assist those persons, but that it is still distributing lands in a structured manner — giving lands to persons with the oldest applications first.