Minister of Housing, Collin Croal, has confirmed that the Ministry of Housing is moving forward with its regularisation plan for Parcel 1 of Conception or Fitz Hope, which is an area in Linden that is known as Amelia’s Ward Phase 4. 

A number of persons have moved into the area without proper documentation for the lands in the area, but during a visit to the community on Wednesday, Minister Croal said plans are afoot to regularize the area.

According to the Housing Minister, persons began occupying the area in 2018 and 2019, with many of them claiming that they had filed applications with the Guyana Lands & Surveys Commission to access to access the land.

However, he noted that the persons were never engaged by any Government agency and that led to the expansion of an irregular “squatter” settlement.

The Housing Ministry said progress has already been made in distributing legal documentation to residents, with 253 allocation letters being issued along with 119 Certificates of Title, and and 31 transports.

Minister Croal emphasized that the Ministry is committed to resolving all outstanding matters in Fitz Hope and ensuring a transparent and equitable system for land allocation.

The Central Housing and Planning Authority first intervened in December 2020, meeting with a a committee representing the settlers and committing to a structured regularisation process.

During the initial phase, structures were documented and numbered to establish occupancy patterns. The first exercise took place in December 2020, where 53 structures were recorded. Additional documentation was carried out in March 2021 and again in June 2022, ensuring that all occupied lots were accounted for.

In 2022, the CH&PA secured formal ownership of the land and a full survey of the area was subsequently conducted between August 1 and August 31, 2023. The final plan outlines 747 lots across two sections, including a designated regularisation area consisting of 431 lots.

“In Fitz Hope, persons moved onto lands that were already allocated. We have committed to clearing the backlog and putting an end to irregular settlement. We are working with Lands, Survey and NICIL to ensure that every citizen in Linden who needs a lot can access one through the correct process,” he stated. “We have strengthened our monitoring mechanism, particularly within the Enforcement Unit at the Linden office, to prevent further irregular occupation. Our goal is fairness and order,” the release quoted the Minister as saying

The Minister reaffirmed that the housing programme in Region Ten will continue to expand, ensuring that families are facilitated through proper channels and that communities are developed in a structured and sustainable manner.

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