Nine families who have been squatting for some time at the Annandale Sea defense reserve also known as Sand Reef, East Coast Demerara (ECD) were handed over the keys to their brand-new homes on Monday.
The two-bedroom homes were constructed at the Annandale New Scheme and handed over by Housing and Water Minster, Collin Croal.
The Director of Community Development at the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), Gladwin Charles and a technical team were present.
The homes are part of a commitment by President Dr. Irfaan Ali last year, following a visit to the area, where he observed their poor living conditions. In total, 15 households are occupying the zero-tolerance area.
Ten families opted for the homes, while the remaining five opted for lands to construct their homes.
Minister Croal stated that the government is working to address squatting nationwide and no new squatting will be recognized. He, therefore, urged informal settlers to do the ‘right thing’ and to work with the government.
The relocation process is being facilitated by CHPA’s Community Development Department. Each home is constructed at a cost of $5 million. The families were engaged by commercial banks to source funding for the construction of their homes.
