Squatters get thumbs down from MP Forde

STRESSING  that every Barbadian should conform to the law, St Thomas Member of Parliament (MP) Cynthia Forde, thinks the time has come to deal with illegal squatting.Forde gave the thumbs-down to both squatters and unscrupulous landlords in a fiery address to the House of Assembly, yesterday.She said that in the last month, six new houses had been erected in a zone 1 area and queried what Government was doing to address the issue.“I have constituents who for the last six, five, four, three, two and one year, have been waiting for a house spot whether it be from a private landlord or Government . “Are we sending the message that we want our people to ignore the law and set up where they feel like?” she asked.The Opposition parliamentarian made it clear she could not support squatting.“All of the things that go with having a good life is what I want all Barbadians to have. I am not talking about rural people alone, I am talking about Barbados across the board. No support“I will not support squatting because squatting is not a part of the Barbadian psyche.”Forde was concerned that her constituents in Allen View had all kinds of building restrictions but elsewhere squatters could do as they like.“The people in Allen View cannot build. They do not get attachments to their houses for the utilities. Some of them don’t have water borne toilets, they can get no help, but these persons who are now squatting, are getting the water and light  attached and are being facilitated.“As a rural person, for too long, I am seeing how we are developing two Barbadoses where the people in St. Thomas  and other parishes are conforming with the law, and another set do as they like and the utility companies facilitate those requests. That is where my problem is,” she said.“I just want for the Minister [of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley] to say whether so far in two and  a half years that the Government of the day, has made any arrangements at all beyond what was done before  for squatters.“Has the Government started to formulate an overall plan for acquisition of land to relocate those squatters who have set up their houses in areas that are on the zone 1 water table or for persons who have just set up.” (MK)