Gregory Park squatters hope for permanent status - Call for an end to board and zinc dwellings and lack of utilities

While some sections of Gregory Park in Portmore, St Catherine, catch the eye because of the pristine homes with manicured lawns, there are other sections where the residents are not so well off.

Take for example areas such as Portmore Villa, more commonly known as Gulf, where the left side of the road looks 'uptown' while the right side showcases the opposite.

Sitting in front of her board house on a dirt track, Pam* says she has been waiting for the day when the Government will sell her the section of land on which her family is squatting.

"Fada know say mi wah tear down my zinc and put up a proper house. Here so mi born and grow and mi a 60 and all we get a promises say dem ago sell we," she said.

The zinc fences being held up by pieces of board and the low-hanging cords that are used as illegal electricity connections for the informal settlements are the raw reality of the residents.

Member of Parliament for St Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge last week told Parliament that he feels uncomfortable that the residents are living in structures that scarcely qualify as housing, noting that basic amenities such as running water or electricity are lacking.

NOT HOPEFUL

John*, who says he has been squatting for 20 years, says he is not keeping his fingers crossed that he will have a proper address soon.

"Right now, nuff a we no have any fix address so we have to collect mail through post office or sometimes people will kind enough to make yuh use dem address when yuh a do business. Not even loan or dem ting deh can take out. Yuh have one and two people over on the squatter side whe have legal light enuh, but, of course, for most a di people a bare bandoolo tings run di place" he said.

The living conditions were quite similar in another section known as 'Mexico'. A resident told THE STAR that he wants his two children to have a better life, but moving away is not an option as it is the only place he has to call home.

"Of course mi would wah pay mi light and water bill and official up di ting. We are willing to buy it. We nuh rich but mi would buy the piece whe mi live on and buy mi block dem by di hundred. Mi have two daughter and right now a water and tiefing light a dweet and mi nuh wah dem grow with di same mentality. Mi would wah dem have nice verandah to sit and dem tings dem," he said.

A woman adds that one of her biggest dreams is to see a skills training centre being erected for the unattached youths.

"Is a big scheme dis and not even a little football field. If di youths dem can't get a work or go back a school dem ago gravitate towards the 'old iron' (gun) because a that dem a see instead a school," she said. Residents also lamented about a flare-up in violence that has been occurring for about three months.

"Vibes a gwan inna di place and more time a di soldiers and police dem who patrol make it nuh worse. Mi see di police dem try call peace meeting and mi know dem a try, but honestly, dem can't stop di war. A di gangster dem alone can stop it and until then, things nah go stop bruk loose," a woman said.

*names changed