Land Settlement Agency to focus on building communities

Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal chats with new LSA chair, Nisha Matura-Allahar

The Land Settlement Agency (LSA) has been handed $22 million from the Finance Ministry’s Public Capital Expenditure Programme for squatter relocation and related development.

The CEO of the agency made the disclosure in Port of Spain Monday at the installation of the new LSA board.

Dr Allen Sammy said the $22 million is from a $639 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Sammy said once he gets board approval the management will go ahead with planning a strategy to start 20 regularisation and community development projects, each costing half a million dollars

“Our challenge is beyond regularisation. The philosophy always has been that while you must regularise and put people into vacant lots you must also develop sustainable enterprise,” Sammy said.

He noted that squatter sites account for between 17 and 23 per cent of the country's population. He said currently there are about 300 squatter sites on state lands.

Sammy said the previous Manning Government “did away with the vacant lots programme and severely restricted the agency’s programmes.” He explained that it means the LSA now has to reformulate its data and restart the process of regularisation.

Minister of Housing and Environment Roodal Moonilal told the new board they have a difficult task and reminded them that the board's role is to implement policies created by the Government in an efficient and fair manner.

Moonilal also cautioned them about their responsibility to the line minister. “You have the obligation and the responsibility to ensure that the implementation of policies and programmes is done with care and consideration. And if it is that at any time there are transactions that you wish to question, or you may wish to wave a red flag, you must also be free to do that.”

Moonilal was critical of the Manning administration's policy of ignoring the squatting community while building new houses.

He said many people prefer to have a piece of land rather than a new government house and urged the board to focus on neighbourhood and community redevelopment within regularised squatting sites. He said this approach will help address social problems and assist in finding means to create a sustainable community.

The new board will be chaired by Nisha Matura-Allahar; Selwyn John will be vice chairman. Other members are: Rabindranath Maharaj, Benito Mootoo, Bachan Hardeen, Sookoo Sonnylal, Nicholas Flemming, Davendranath Koma, Azim Basarath, Marlene George and Alvin Ramroop.