Angoy’s Avenue residents to pay for their land, those living on reserves to be removed

GINA, GUYANA, Friday, March 24, 2017

A plan has been formulated to address the regularisation of Angoy’s Avenue in Region Six. The fulfillment of the residents’ desire to legitimately acquire house lots in the area that they have occupied for decades follows a meeting between the Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Adams-Patterson, and staff of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), and residents in the community.

Following intense discussions on Thursday, the two sides agreed that those residents occupying lands that are not reserved for roadways, drainage canals and community playgrounds will pay prices ranging from $59,400 (small), $92,000 (medium) and $150,000 (large) for their allotted land.

Minister Adams-Patterson explained that between the CH&PA and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, determination will be made on the size of the land for each of the specified categories identified, but initial thoughts are for the small category to be 3200 square feet (sq. ft.) The residents would also pay an additional $8000 for the processing of their titles.

The minister explained that the letter for the payment of the land will be issued to the residents in one month’s time.

Those persons residing on the reserves in the community were told to remove, and pave the way for the upgrading of the community.  “We cannot maintain you on the reserves, you have to get off. Reserves mean reserves. It is not for you to live on. It is not for you to put your shop on. It is not for you to put anything on so prepare to get off,” the minister told these residents.

She advised them that they will be served notice and would be given seven days to move out. “Remove peacefully before the enforcement

officer has to come and remove you,” the minister urged. She observed that many of those living of the reserves are in receipt of a house lot issued to them by the CH&PA. The minister also warned that the CH&PA would not proceed with the regularisation plan until residents occupying the reserves are removed. Thereby she advised those residents who will remain, “to help your neighbour to move…if they do not move, not one letter would be issued on the 24^th April…remove from the reserves and we would have a smooth process and regularise Angoy’s Avenue,” the minister advised.

Before meeting the residents of Angoy’s Avenue, the minister and staff of the CH&PA had engaged the Mayor and Town Council of New Amsterdam. Minister Adams-Patterson explained that the CH&PA would be collaborating with the council to use two plots of land that once housed the tannery to construct double apartment buildings to cater for 80 families. Another set of the housing units would also be constructed at Fort Ordnance to cater for 60 families.

As part of creating livable and wholesome communities, there are a number of ‘zero tolerance’ areas on which the Government through the Ministry of Communities has been working aggressively to remove squatters, and developing those that can be regularised. In line with this effort, these exercises are being carried out across the country and in communities such as Sophia, Plantation Great Diamond and shortly on the West and East Ruimveldt Front Road.

The government as part of rolling out its new housing programme, has committed to relocating those squatters living on reserves either through the distribution of house lots or identifying rent to own houses for them.

 

By: Macalia Santos