Squatters Multiplying

There are two villages there – a stone’s throw apart – with the smaller of the two appearing to have rows of about 60 homes that look more like sheds with tin roofs.

Like the other squatting communities on the island, the residents there lack access to basic utilities and infrastructure.

For the Bahamian residents who own their homes or have to pay rent, the squatters are a nuisance and their less than favourable living conditions are believed to devalue other properties in the area.

The residents blame the mostly-Haitian squatters for dumping trash on the streets into mounds that belong only in the city dump.

Standing on the porch of a Bahamian resident of Kool Acres, one can clearly see an outhouse, almost in his front yard, which is the entrance to the squatters’ community.

On one side of his home, a path to the other village has been cut.

The residents say enough is enough and are calling on government authorities to address the problem once and for all.But officials have admitted that dealing with squatting communities in New Providence, and other islands like Abaco, is not an easy task.

In fact, the government continues to face a battle with Haitian and Bahamian squatters who live on land off Fire Trail Road, where the government plans to develop a subdivision.

In recent weeks, officials have been focusing on trying to get that land cleared. But residents of Kool Acres believe that there needs to be a wider initiative to address the squatting situation on New Providence.

Reginald Wood, one of the residents there, claims the squatters are creating serious concerns for “legitimate” residents.

“I feel that the government must do something because there are some 200 plus persons [Haitians] that traffic through the neighborhood on a daily basis,” Mr. Wood told the Bahama Journal.“If you take this subdivision out they would be in the middle of nowhere.”

He added, “We don’t know if they are criminals, or what element they bring to the neighborhood. It is uncomfortable.”

He claimed that successive governments have turned a blind eye to the situation.

“They are illegal immigrants; everyone knows that they are there,” Mr. Wood added. “I suggest that the government go to the law books and whatever is in black and white, act on it. All we have to do is check them out and if they are illegal immigrants and cannot produce papers detain them and send them home.”

Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet said the present government is aware of the serious nature of the squatting problem on New Providence and in other areas of the country.

“The numbers are growing and people are demanding that the squatters be dealt with,” he said in an interview with the Bahama Journal. “We’re being forced by just the sheer numbers to address the problem. It’s one that calls for investigation, surveillance and different government agencies dealing with it in a way that is firm, fair and humane.”

But he admitted that dealing with the problem is “very difficult.”

“There are several areas on the island where this problem exists,” he said. “We’re trying to deal with them one at a time and trying to get an idea of how many they are.”

Minister Peet said with evidence suggesting that the numbers of squatters are growing, it has all the implications that any illegal immigration situation brings.

“There are health implications, social implications and all the other challenges,” he said. “Those are challenges that are well known so therefore it’s important to address them.”

While Kool Acres residents wait for the government to address their concerns, they say they have put in place a “buddy system” where neighbours look out for each other’s property.

Some of them fear that their frustration level will continue to grow.

One young man who lives in the area said when he wanted to construct a wall around his property, he had to go and get a permit. But he said squatters are building whole communities for free and authorities are doing nothing to stop them.

“I’m very concerned because of the unsanitary conditions that this situation is forcing me to live under because they are so close to my house,” he said. “They constructed out-houses that are 50 feet away from my front door, and they burn trash. Every month or so fire trucks have to come and put out blazes. This is not safe or healthy for me and my family and I should not have to live like this.”

Danez Edwards, another resident of Kool Acres, also expressed frustration.

“People build a nice home, but cannot enjoy it because of this huge eyesore you are forced to see every day,” Ms. Edwards said. “These people are nasty; this is a great health risk. Everything is done so openly with them. There is a lot of bacteria and foul smells in the air, and with the outdoor from [out houses] it makes it worse.”

Another Kool Acres resident, who only gave his name as Mr. Russell, said he is not bothered by the squatters because he does not have to see them every day.

“I think that people have to see them more than I do due to the way my house is situated, so I’m not concerned,” Mr. Russell said.

One resident claimed that the Member of Parliament for the area, Sidney Stubbs, has not done much to address the residents’ concerns.

“I believe that these government [officials] don’t care or even try to do anything because they don’t have this kind of problem in the areas where they live,” he said.

But Mr. Stubbs told the Bahama Journal that he continues to press government authorities to do more and said progress is being made.

Mr. Stubbs also explained that the population of the big Haitian village bordering Kool Acres was recently “drastically” increased. He said as private developers purchase land in the area, the squatters on the property are evicted.

The group of squatters that had been on land off Hanna Road was forced to leave for the same reason, Mr. Stubbs pointed out, adding that a similar situation occurred when land off Seabreeze Lane that had been occupied by squatters was purchased for a private development.

He also said that some residents of the area are afraid to make reports against squatters and illegal immigrants.

“They are afraid to report the Haitians because they can get very violent,” Mr. Stubbs told the Journal.

He spoke of one woman, whose property was fire-bombed after she made such a report.

“That’s been going on for a few years,” he said. “I now tell the police that when they go to the Haitian village don’t say who sent you.”

Mr. Stubbs also noted that the problem is further complicated because some of the squatters are Bahamian citizens, although they may be from a Haitian background.

Only recently, Minister of Housing Shane Gibson sent a stern message to squatters.

“I really want to send a strong warning out there to squatters on government land that you need to desist from doing so because at the end of the day we are now in a position where there is limited amount of land in The Bahamas for development of affordable homes,” Minister Gibson said.