The first batch of informal settlers from Arcadia (Mocha), East Bank Demerara (EBD), has received house lot allocations.
The allocations were issued on Thursday, as Minister of Housing Collin Croal and Director of Community Development at the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Gladwin Charles, joined residents for the selection process.
According to the ministry, some of the settlers were occupying a road reserve in the recently regularised Fields 1–3, while others were squatting in Fields 4–6, an area not slated for regularisation. The Government is now relocating these households into available lots within Fields 1–3.
The section of Fields 1–3 being cleared was recently regularised after the ministry acquired the land from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Construction is also underway for a new access road, with authorities saying the works form part of efforts to ensure proper infrastructure and access to essential utilities in the regularised areas of Mocha.
In total, about 21 persons occupying the area earmarked for the road reserve are being relocated to vacant lots within Fields 1–3. At the same time, 50 informal settlers from Fields 4–6 are also slated to be moved to available lots in Fields 1–3, the ministry said.
The ministry invited the first 17 beneficiaries to begin the allocation exercise. Minister Croal thanked residents for cooperating with the relocation process, even as he noted there were attempts by political figures to discourage participation.
“This government is interested in ensuring that all citizens have access to proper housing, have a comfortable space, a comfortable environment where they can live, and to also ensure that the next generation and their children can have a secure environment,” Croal said.
Several beneficiaries also welcomed the move, describing it as life-changing.
“I can’t really explain how this is great for me,” said Leron Griffith. “I’m very thankful for what the government has done.”
Shemele Moore, who said she has lived in the community for about five years, described the process as seamless and said the relocation would bring better living standards.
“I’m grateful that I can actually own a piece of house lot for myself and my children, and I want to say thanks to the government,” Moore said.
Another beneficiary, Kendes Dias, who said he is a lifelong resident of Mocha but lived in the informal settlement for about seven years, also praised the relocation exercise, describing it as smooth and expressing relief at the prospect of improved living conditions.
