Squatters are telling big lies

Noel Garcia, executive director at the National Housing Authority (NHA), categorically stated that residents whose illegal structures at Union Hall were demolished last week were telling big lies. He said, “People are telling, not white lies, but big lies.” At a press conference at his office yesterday called to bring the media up to date with matters regarding squatting and the Government’s housing development programme, Garcia explained the events leading up to last week’s action at Duncan Village.

With the help of aerial photographs of Union Hall at 2003, and another taken just before the demolition squad went into the area last week, one differed vastly from the other, indicating as Garcia said, that the majority of the shacks built,  popped up only within the last few months. Garcia termed it a “land grab” given that of the 50 illegal structures  demolished, 30 of those units were unoccupied at the time of demolition. While he admitted that no prior notices were given to the occupiers of the 50 targetted units, he said the dwellers of 17 other units in the area were untouched by the demolition squad, since they were given notices in 2001.

Following that, an agreement was made to have them relocated. Garcia said it was impossible that the 50 torn down illegal structures were in existence some 17 years ago as stated by some of the affected occupiers. He added that the NHA had to stop the blatant land grabbing since lots in the area were already purchased. He said, “NHA cannot be in breach of contract with its clients. It is NHA’s obligation to protect its clients.” According to documents in Newsday’s possession, some clients had made a downpayment of $30,000 in 1999; another paid down $5,000 in 1998; another paid $13,000 in 1996; another paid $2,000 in 2001, and yet another $400 in 2000. (See sample of receipt).