Latest update February 7th, 2025 10:13 AM
Aug 29, 2021 News
By Kellisha Hackett
Kaieteur News – Residents of the community known as ‘Big Yard’ in Tucville, Georgetown, area are now left feeling abandoned after years of promises from both People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) governments.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, residents said that they were moved there for a very long time and the recent governments have done nothing but give them empty promises.
According to most of the residents living in the compound, they were relocated from Tiger Bay over 20 years ago. It was also said that the other residents were moved there by the Ministry of Housing and the remainder are children of persons who were moved there.
The residents in the interview all spoke of feeling abandoned and forgotten by the governments, especially the PPP/C who had told them that they were only being relocated for a temporary period of three months.
The residents said the only hope they have ever gotten was from the former Minister Simona Broomes who had promised to ensure the enhancement of the residents living situation. However, this was since in 2019 and to this date nothing happened.
They also noted that they were promised contract homes within the compound and contractors were even sent to evaluate the area.
According to an article in Guyana Chronicle April 7, 2019, “a team from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) was engaged in numbering the housing quarters in the compound. Head of CH&PA’s Relocation Resettlement Unit, Roxanne Campbell, said it was the first time an inventory of the number of persons settled in the compound was being taken. Campbell explained that the census would give the housing authority a clear idea of the number of persons living in the compound and the number of housing quarters existing.”
Natasha Alexander, who resides in the compound, indicated that she was relocated from Tiger Bay over 20 years now. She said, “I had applied for a land since 2012 and never got through.”
In 2019, Alexander’s house had fallen down because of how long it was there and given the fact that it was not properly constructed or renovated.
“Some government people,” Alexander said, “had come and check on it and promise to help me but nothing happened. I had to continue to live in that same house that had fallen down for three months because no one was able to help me. But with help from friends and family, I build a concrete house to live in for the time being.”
Kaieteur News was able to understand that her happiness was short lived as upon doing so, she said officials came and asked her why she did that and invited her to a meeting in which she was informed that the construction of her now new home did not give her ownership to the land. She was further told that they will give her a low income land, but, that is yet to be done.
Doris La Rose, who was relocated in the yard by the Ministry of Housing, said she came to the yard as a caretaker and has never received a land. La Rose said she was placed in the yard over 25 years ago, by former Minister Shaik Baksh who never looked back to provide any changes or to help.
One of the residents who was also relocated from Tiger Bay some 22 years ago said the persons there are poor and can’t afford house lots. “We’re poor here and all we’re asking for is for the government to help, even if it’s a one bedroom or a Food For The Poor house to help us out of this,” one resident said.
The woman went on to say that she can’t invest in where she lives because the government is not notifying them on what they’re doing with the yard or give permission to do anything. She added that they were told by officials they cannot build concrete structures without permission. The woman continued by saying that she never applied for a land because the APNU+AFC government told them to wait and not to apply for land.
Another resident who was also relocated from Tiger Bay said that she applied for land since 2018 and nothing has ever been done. She said only a few were fortunate to get house lots and moved already.
Persons noted that they are being restrained from a comfortable living because they are not sure if they are there permanently. They said the government should tell them what they are doing with the yard so that they can expand and live comfortable. Some even stated because of the living conditions, they don’t have enough money to purchase the lands.
Other residents did not want to talk about what they’re going through because they said, “it doesn’t make sense, the government is still not going to do anything…once they are okay, they don’t care for others so we’re just going to do what we have to do”.
Feb 07, 2025
2025 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships Round 2…GHE vs. CCC Day 2 -Eagles (1st innings 166-6, Imlach 58*) trail CCC by 209 runs Kaieteur Sports- Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) owned Day 2...Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-There is little dispute that Donald Trump knows how to make an entrance. He does so without... more
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]