THIRTY-ONE families who were squatting on reserve lands have accepted the government’s offer to relocate but four of them have refused to engage the authorities and this has now resulted in delaying the construction of the much-needed Eccles to Great Diamond highway on the East Bank of Demerara.

This alternative road will relieve traffic congestion for thousands of commuters along the East Bank Demerara corridor.
The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) now plans to issue a final notice to the squatters who have been offered housing elsewhere.
Initially, some 35 households were squatting on a government reserve earmarked for the highway at Cane View, East Bank Demerara and, on Friday, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, and a technical team visited the area to assess the relocation and resettlement process.

Croal noted that the ministry had been engaging residents since January 2021, and lands were identified at the Farm and Herstelling housing schemes in August for the relocation.
He said that the government was bearing the cost of the relocation process and the squatters were being compensated for their houses based on an evaluation of each property conducted by the Valuation Office.
To date, 26 families have their house lots and 10 have fully relocated following the completion of their houses.

“The areas we are relocating them to are developed housing schemes and are in close proximity to where they are currently occupying. It is also better than their current situation because we will be giving them ownership documents to the land and they can have access to utilities such as electricity and water,” the Housing Minister stated.
One of the squatters, Mr. Sheldon Allen, who recently moved to his new home in Herstelling said that the relocation offers his family a better standard of living and a safer community.
“This community looks safe and I feel good here, from where we come from in Mocha [and] my son will grow better here,” Mr. Allen stated.

Meanwhile, Mr. Marlon Forde, who was squatting for close to 20 years and also recently moved to his new home in Herstelling, stated that he was pleased with his new house and the ministry’s response to the situation.
“I want to thank the [Ministry of] Housing for the way they treated us and we didn’t get bullied,” Forde said. He also agreed that the housing scheme was better suited for raising his four children.
In addition to the compensation for their houses, compensation was also being processed for persons with livestock and crops.

Minister Croal stated that the agency will continue to pursue the relocation of the four families, as the Ministry cannot allow stalling of the multi-billion-dollar highway, which will relieve traffic congestion for thousands of commuters along the East Bank Demerara corridor.

The four-lane road forms part of the alternative East Bank Demerara road link which is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion on the East Bank corridor. Once completed, more than 22,000 households will directly benefit, as well as the growing volume of commercial users.
The contract for the $13 billion project was awarded to 12 contractors in December last year.