The Commissioner of State Lands and police yesterday cracked down on squatters who had erected illegal structures at the La Culebra site in Ramjattan Trace, off Tumpuna Road, Arima.
Eight illegal structures were demolished as angry squatters shouted and hurled abuse at police officers.
The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) said the move was necessary to help develop legitimate housing for citizens.
The drama began unfolding around 7.30 a.m. when about two dozen officers dressed in riot gear came to the squatting settlement to protect officials and an excavator used to tear down the wooden and concrete structures.
Some residents threatened police while others pleaded for mercy.
CONFRONTATION: Police officers attempt to restrain a resident at Ramjattan Trace, La Horquetta, yesterday. The Housing Development Authority (HDC) carried out demolition works at the squatting community.
“Mothers and children allyuh come to put out. Robocops!” one woman screamed as officers moved in to control the irate crowd of squatters.
Several young men cursed the officers, even as the excavator moved in and started tearing down the illegal structures.
As they continued to argue, police detained one man who was resisting arrest, an officer said.
The excavator dragged the galvanised sheet roof off one squatter’s home as the owner continued to scream at the authorities and police.
tearing down: An excavator tears down a wooden structure during yesterday’s crackdown on squatters who had erected illegal structures at the La Culebra site, Ramjattan Trace, off Tumpuna Road, Arima. —Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK
Earlier, the squatters had to grab their belongings and quickly pile their clothes and wares outside before the excavator moved in.
Others were able to move furniture, including beds, mattresses and wardrobes, out of their houses before they were demolished.
One mother, Omega Cox, placed her young daughter to sit on a chest of drawers while the child’s pet dogs cowered nearby.
By the time the excavator and police left the area, there were clothes, household items and furniture strewn all over the site.
Two women who spoke with the Express after the police left the area said they would immediately rebuild since they had nowhere to go.
One squatter, who gave her name as Chelsea, said she was on her way to drop her two children at a day care facility when she received a telephone call saying her house was in the process of being knocked down.
Chelsea, who is a customer service representative, said:
“You have to understand this is people place. People have been sacrificing to build. The thing is people saying that you are living for free. It is nothing for the Government to give us a piece of land and say you have to pay for this. Or a house…and all people will pay.
“There are people in the back here, like my mother, who have been applying for HDC house and never got through. The way they make it sound like nobody tried that, but we did try that route. This is a last option.
“Most people I am knowing have nowhere to live, I myself. Right now, they are trying to knock up something for me to rest my head tonight to figure out what is the next move from here.”
Another woman, who gave her name only as Ayanna, also lamented that she along with her four children had also lost their home.
She acknowledged that no arrangement had been made to seek alternative accommodation for them, and said it was for that reason she had no choice but to rebuild a temporary structure until better could be done.
Ayanna too complained that since the situation began escalating last month, she was unable to return to work at the regional corporation and was forced to use up her sick days.
Both women said they had previously gone to the office of MP for the area Foster Cummings to ask for help but did not see him.
Ayanna stressed that they were subjected to the same “runaround as other times” as staff members said they were going to take the information and relay it to the minister, but nothing had come of it.
Several other people whose illegal homes were demolished went to the MP’s office yesterday, but said they were unable to meet him.
Yesterday morning, Cummings, along with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Energy Minister Stuart Young, Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein and Minister in the Agriculture Ministry Avinash Singh, was at the Shade House Project, Tucker Valley, Chaguaramas, where 10,000 yam seeds gifted to this country by Ghana were planted.
Cummings could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday.
Legitimate housing needs
The HDC confirmed yesterday that the Commissioner of State Lands, in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, had taken “decisive action” to address illegal squatting at the La Culebra site.
“This action is necessary to clear State lands,” it said in a media release.
“In October 2024, 20 illegal structures were demolished as part of an ongoing effort to remove unlawful occupants from the land. Further, notices were served to the occupants of 12 additional structures, requesting that they vacate the property by January 2025. The Commissioner of State Lands owns the land and has authorised these operations to ensure proper land use,” the HDC said.
Recent satellite imagery confirmed that many of the structures were either newly built or still under construction, it pointed out.
“Notably, five structures marked for removal were built between 2018 and 2023, one was constructed between 2014 and 2018, and six were erected between 2018 and 2023. A combination of wooden and concrete structures has been identified for removal,” the HDC said.
It added that authorities have also been made aware of fraudulent activities, such as “individuals unlawfully selling portions of state land and collecting money from unsuspecting persons. Investigations are underway to address these illegal transactions and bring the perpetrators to justice”.
To ensure a fair and orderly process, the occupants were given an additional nine days to vacate the premises and remove any personal belongings before demolition took place, the release said.
“This extension aims to provide a humane transition period while enforcing the law. The Government remains committed to properly managing State lands and ensuring that such properties are utilised for their intended purposes.
“The removal of these illegal structures is a necessary step in advancing the development of legitimate housing solutions for citizens in need,” the HDC said.
