Housing Ministry moves to enforce zero-tolerance policy on squatting near Ogle airport

The Ministry of Housing and Water, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), is intensifying efforts to relocate persons illegally occupying the Cummings Park reserve, an area that lies directly within the flight path of the Eugene F. Correia/Ogle International Airport.

Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal, along with CH&PA’s Director of Community Development, Gladwin Charles, recently conducted a site visit to assess the situation. Minister Croal reaffirmed that the area falls under a strict zero-tolerance squatting zone, citing both safety and legal concerns.

“This is an area that, under no circumstance, we can have persons squatting or occupying the land. It’s within the buffer zone for the Ogle authority, and so we have to act immediately,” Minister Croal stated.

According to the Ministry, the illegal occupation not only poses serious safety risks to aviation operations but also obstructs the airport’s ongoing expansion plans—an important component of Guyana’s wider economic development agenda.

The Housing Ministry has been working in collaboration with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Ogle Airport management, and affected occupants to address the issue through structured and humane relocation measures.

To date, approximately 40 individuals who applied for house lots through CH&PA are in the process of relocating to allocated areas, with arrangements underway to assist several others. Formal removal notices have been issued, and those who continue to occupy the land illegally or fail to cooperate will face enforcement actions.

The Ministry has reiterated that no new squatting will be permitted in the area and remains committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting public safety, and promoting sustainable land use in support of national development.