Hundreds apply for lands following Success stand-off

Oct 02, 2020 News

Kaieteur News – Hundreds of residents from Success, Vryheid’s Lust, and Chateau Margot communities yesterday gathered at a housing drive conducted by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

Residents filling out application forms (Sydel Thomas photo)

The persons waiting at the school yesterday.

The event, at the Chateau Margot Primary School, was aimed to provide them with legal home ownership, the CH&PA said.
The invitation was sent out to residents following a standoff between squatters in the Success, Vryheid’s Lust, and Chateau Margot areas and more.
On Wednesday, squatters, officials of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation Incorporated (GuySuCo) and police ranks would have reportedly faced off..
It was reported that the officials went to the Success area where it was found that many were squatting on lands owned by NICIL and GuySuCo. The squatters were warned to move or be removed.
Police reports had stated that the residents took a firm stance against moving, and subsequently tear gas and rubber pellets were dispersed after the squatters allegedly attacked ranks.
At the housing drive, the Ministry sought to provide the residents with land application forms and assistance to fill them and they also conducted the interview process on spot.
Further, reports stated that the fees for the application forms were also waived.
Persons who previously applied had their information updated in the Ministry’s database, an action that the Ministry described as being a part of their database cleaning activity.
Present at the drive was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Sherwyn Greaves, who assured the residents that their applications will be processed in a swift manner, starting with old applications. He said that the authority is working on a “first come first served basis.”
“For those who are now applying, it will be unfair if they are put ahead. However, because of Housing’s mandate and how much houselots we will be giving, they will be dealt with within a short time also,” the CEO told residents.
He shared the government’s commitment to providing all squatters from the listed areas with lands in Demerara-Mahaica (Region Four), which falls under their agenda of distributing 50,000 houselots over the next five years.
He maintained the Ministry’s firm stance against squatting, saying that there is zero tolerance for such actions.
“The way to acquire a house lot is not squatting. It is to visit the Central Housing and Planning Authority and we will be dealing with your applications expeditiously,” Greaves promised.

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