#BTEditorial – Squatting, we must end this form of lawlessness

The acquisition of land has always been the desire of most Barbadians. Our people – the black working class, who make up the majority of our citizens, were not blessed with inheritances that allowed them to benefit from this form of generational wealth.

For the most part, the history of poor Barbadians saw them living  in chattel houses on tenantries owned by plantations, and over time, through hard work and determination, personal and communal savings of families, they were able to purchase land and construct more permanent residences.

Today, the desire for land and home ownership is still very strong. Unfortunately, the conditions under which average citizens are asked to secure houses and land are much more challenging.

Chief among the challenges are exorbitant land and house prices. It has become extremely difficult to purchase land by simply saving for the purchase. Most new developments in desirable districts of St Michael, Christ Church, St Philip, St James, and St George, for example, are incredibly pricey.

Even properties in rural districts are also on the rise as developers respond to the demand. To own a piece of the rock often requires a loan from a financial institution.

And even after land purchase, the cost of construction and maintenance of a home can prove to be overwhelming due to the general cost of living in the country.

To add further credibility to our argument were the recent results from a University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus study which showed the majority of young people polled did not believe they could ever afford a home of their own.

It is against this backdrop that we are witnessing an explosion in cases of squatting on the island.

We know that there are districts that have emerged from squatter communities. These include Six Mens in St Peter, My Lord’s Hill and The Belle in St Michael. Of late, these have been joined by Rock Hall in St Philip and Belleview, Station Hill in St Michael.

The unique feature about the major squatter communities is the significant number of non-nationals, who, after finding it difficult to maintain themselves in rented facilities, choose to take their chances with illegal construction on private property or on state-owned lands.

This is not to suggest that only non-nationals are involved in the practice of squatting but for the most part, it is not a common course of action for Barbadians.

Be that as it may, the issue exists, it is growing, and it poses a threat to our health, our social practices, and the rule of law.

Even as the current administration rolls out a very generous programme to relocate squatters from Rock Hall to much better accommodation and on lands that they can eventually call their own without facing the risk of eviction, some unscrupulous persons have erected more houses in the district.

Squatters on this former landfill, which is situated near the end of the runway of the Grantley Adams International Airport, also pose a safety threat and Barbados could face serious sanctions relating to aviation safety if the situation is not rectified promptly.

Various governments have sought to address the housing shortage on the island through initiatives such as low cost houses and starter homes. There have also been rent-to-own projects for people in Government rental housing units.

Barbados’ land space is not increasing, and so a comprehensive review of the island’s carrying capacity. Its ratio of housing to agricultural land distribution also needs to be examined.

Then there is the question of water and sewerage requirements for a growing housing stock. How many more housing developments can Barbados reasonably accommodate without further compromising our water supply which is captured mostly from underground sources?

The issue of squatting is just a segment of a much larger development challenge that we must address with haste.

At the same time, we cannot allow the country to degenerate into a state where the rule of law has little meaning and landowners live in fear that their properties will be taken over by those who decide to take shortcuts and illegal means to achieve their ends.