AS government moves to regularise the squatting area at Charity where scores of persons live, the first 50 squatters have applied for their land- ownership documents.

This exercise was facilitated on Wednesday during an outreach, which was led by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues.

The visit by the ministers and housing officials came one day after President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the squatters will get their land titles and that infrastructural work will be done in the area.

President Ali had told the squatters that the ministers would visit to listen to their concerns.

Minister Croal and a team of housing officials interacted with residents in the Gaulin Supermarket parking lot. The first 50 squatters applied for their Agreement of Sale and Certificates of Title.

Simultaneously, Minister Rodrigues conducted a walk-about in the squatting area.

During one of her stops, she told the media that infrastructural works will commence soon; President Ali had promised residents that two concrete roads and drains will be constructed.
The Guyana Chronicle was told that in 2011 when President Ali was the housing minister, a total of 226 lots were created. However, the processing of titles was put on hold by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to facilitate a verification exercise.

During the verification exercise, it was discovered that some of the persons were occupying drainage reserves in the area. They were later identified for relocation.

Meanwhile, many of the squatters told the Guyana Chronicle that they are happy that they will become land-owners.

One squatter, who has been living in the area for over 40 years, said that the president’s announcement was a happy moment for him.

He related that he and his fellow squatters have been patiently waiting for the visit and when it happened, they were elated.

“He came like Santa to us. We [need] to get our titles so we can go to the bank. I am glad we are getting the attention we need,” he said.

Another squatter, Narine Hardat, said that he has been living on the land for over 15 years and was looking forward to the day when he would have legal ownership of it.

Hardat along with many of the other squatters praised President Ali and the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, for their prompt action.