THE Ministry of Housing and Water has strongly refuted claims made by Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton and journalist, Adam Harris, regarding the use of land at Mocha-Arcadia (Cane View), where squatters were recently removed to make way for the construction of a highway.
In a statement issued Monday, the Ministry emphasised that the land in question was being used exclusively for the publicly-announced purpose of constructing the highway. The Ministry made it clear that there were no plans to re-purpose the land or allocate it to any individual or entity.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, recently addressed the issue in an article published on August 13, 2024, in the Stabroek News, where he confirmed, “the lands are not allocated to anyone…there are no structures on the land.”
The Ministry criticised the statements made by Harris and Norton, labelling them as “erroneous and mischievous” and accusing them of attempting to incite racial and ethnic tensions.
According to the Ministry, most of the squatters who were relocated were moved to developed housing areas at no cost and received compensation, with many now becoming legal landowners. The Ministry noted that the success of the housing programme over the past four years has been a sore point for the Opposition, given its poor performance in the sector during their time in government from 2015 to 2020.

The Ministry also acknowledged that some squatters who were dissatisfied with the government’s actions have initiated legal proceedings, with the cases currently pending in the High Court.