More than 25 people who set up houses in the squatter’s village at Rock Hall, St Philip, after February 2020, may have their homes demolished and will not benefit from Government’s generous relocation programme, which has already been worked out for the 253 squatters living there over the past 30 years.
Minister of Housing Dwight Sutherland, said those new squatters, who moved in during the COVID-19 pandemic, had already been warned.
“We went to Parliament in September 2020 and it was agreed that we need to stop persons building here and effective February 2020 we would not be addressing persons who have erected structures,” the Minister said, during a tour of Rock Hall yesterday where he and other Ministry officials witnessed the removal of houses once occupied by squatters who have been relocated.
“I have no sympathy for those persons who came and set up their houses after February 2020. There are some 20/25 structures thus far and I think there are more because some persons are still setting up. They clearly have ignored and they have disregarded legitimate legislation and regulations as set up by Government,” he said, adding that such people would not be charged “but we would be removing those houses”. (MB)
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