Foreigners renting State lands

However, some of these lands are grabbed by non-nationals some who are from outside of Caricom, even as multiple lots are staked by characters dubbed “Squat Lords” who in turn rent out parcels to other individuals.

While in 2002 the cost to upgrade lots was $70,000, this had since risen to $100,000 to $130,000 (depending on the nature of the land), he said.

Since 2002 to present this has been funded by about $250 million in portions from two loans respectively awarded in 2002 and 2011 from the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). The overall loans were for US$40 million and US$50 million of which the allocations for squatter regularisation were respectively US$13 million and US$24 million, totalling US$37 million or about TT$250 million.

Hosein said these costs pay for box drains, asphalt paved roads, water supply, electrification and fire hydrants directly to each squatter’s lot. Other costs include broader activities such as topographical surveys, land use design and planning.

He said the original intent a few years ago was to provide gravel roads and earth drains, but now better facilities are supplied.

Since 1999, some 30 squatter settlements have been thus regularised out of some 251 sites listed in the relevant 1998 legislation. In addition, nine sites are now “substantially completed” he added.

Hosein estimated the country has 55,000 squatter homes, a sum that has been increasing at the rate of 1,000 new squatter claims per year.

“It’s not easy to get the names of people but we have now recorded every structure and where it is located,” he said. In Port-of-Spain and environs there exists 10,000 squatting families he said. He said the LSA does not handle new squatter settlements which is the role of the Commissioner of State Lands.

LSA chairman Ossley Francis said, “We prepare the land and people just move in in droves, and we cannot remove them.” Hosein said the biggest squatter site regularised by the LSA was Racecourse in Arima, of 703 lots developed, but of which a subsequent “invasion” reduced the available sites to 530 lots. He bemoaned that in some cases squatters there had occupied an area of 18,000 square feet each! Opposition Senator Ridger Samuel asked about people traversing Trinidad to set up a series of small squats which they later claim and then rent out to others.

Hosein replied, “That’s a reality that we face now. We have a term for persons like that which we call ‘Squat Lords’. Instead of landlords they are squat lords.

“So they tend to occupy more than one lot of land. And more than that, we now have squat lords who are developing areas of State land and selling these lands to other persons.” He said both buyer and seller are committing illegal acts.

Asked if any squat lords have ever been sanctioned under law, Hosein said “no”, as there is a challenge in getting information. Asked if he knew the names of any squat lords, he laughed and said no, adding that such matters should be sent to the police and the Commissioner of Valuations. In reply to a query by Independent Senator Jennifer Rafoul, Hosein said some $70 million had been spent under the former “Land for the Landless” programme, but out of 1,500 lots that had been fully developed, only six lots had ever been distributed.

Trade Minister Paula Gopee- Scoon chided the LSA for having no procurement officer even as procurement legislation is poised to take effect soon.

The PAC heard that the LSA needs an extra $35 million to get its staffing up to full complement.

Hosein said the LSA owes $10 million to contractors but itself owes no-one.