ALTERNATIVE HOUSING FOR SQUATTERS NEEDS EVALUATION

Jan 31, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
The great efforts by Minister Valerie Patterson to provide alternative housing to squatters must be commended. This is the correct direction as opposed to the legalization of haphazard, unsafe structures that have proliferated. However, with the absence of qualified and experienced housing planners and builders she is on slippery mud and is fetching 10 pounds groceries in a 5 pound bag. There must be some amount of rectitude and legal ramifications, instead of the platitudes to the media and the piecemeal approach to housing structures and regulations. There must be laws to ensure that these houses allocated to the removed squatters comply with mortgage requirements and a Housing Code of Occupancy. Here are some conditions that need to be instituted:
1) Houses must have a floor plan and any addition or alteration must be applied for from The CHPA.
2) Each property must have a meets and bounds survey so the public knows the layout, dimensions and outer perimeter of the land.
3) Easements – the right for someone to pass through another person’s property- must be determined.
4) Homeowners must sign a compliance that the home is for primary residence and is not for rental, as hefty fines or repossession could result.
5) Occupancy by one family is a required factor as well because many homeowners hastily add more rooms thus providing an unsafe multi-family occupancy in an effort to gain income from rent.
6) Residential neighbourhoods should not have any form of commercial activity for instance, oil change/tire shops, TV / phone repair outlets etc.
7) A Variance must be applied for, and granted by, the Housing Authority for any change from the (original) residential usage of homes.
8) Trained housing planners and inspectors should enforce safety standards.
9) A system to impose fines for violations pertaining to garbage, water wasting, maintenance, alteration etc.
10) Allocation and demarcation of parking spaces to avoid conflicts.
There is a multitude of factors governing the building of new communities: Schools, recreational facilities, medical centers, garbage disposal, and police outposts. Ratio factors vary; nonetheless, there ought to be a playground, for example one acre per 1000 persons. Ratios can be extrapolated to schools, policing, medical centers and so on. And, of course, fire stations.
For Guyana to ascend to any high level of housing construction, qualified and experienced planners, builders and engineers would be needed as the country is still in the doldrums of housing. If this is not done then there will be yet another set of poor quality housing waiting for yet another disaster to happen.
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine
Real Estate Builder (New York)

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