DCA Set to Demolish 21 Jennings Extension Homes Today Owners Allege

SOURCE: REAL NEWS ANTIGUA- Twenty-one homes in Jennings Extension due to be demolished this morning; owners feel they have been bad-played by DCA

The Development Control Authority (DCA) is scheduled to demolish 21 properties in Jennings Extension this morning, November 14, according to the home-owners, who believe they have been “bad-played” by the Browne Administration.

Last night, the plight of the homeowners was brought to the attention of REAL News by Senator Johnathan Joseph, the United Progressive Party caretaker for St. Mary’s North.

The families whose houses are up for demolition admitted to our Newsroom that they have been squatting on Crown land – owned by the Ministry of Agriculture – but say they had been promised they would be allowed to buy the spots on which they had built.

They claim that, in another area of the Extension, other squatters had had the land surveyed and their plots allocated and had been allowed to purchase them.

According to the threatened 21, several months prior to the 2023 General Election, the authorities had assured them they would not have to move and had reiterated the promise that they would be permitted to buy the land.

All the home-owners were asked to do, in the meantime, was improve the appearance of their properties – and they claim, for the most part, they have complied.

Subsequent to that, however, the DCA served an Enforcement Notice on the families on the grounds that the development of the land had been carried out without the required permit. Further, the home-owners had “placed/built a dwelling house on Crown land without permission from the Lands Division, and without permission from the DCA for your structure(s).”

The Notice was due to take effect on July 31, 2024. But, reportedly, “a meeting was held with the DCA to try to remedy the situation,” a home-owner tells REAL News; and promises were made that the affected families would be given the option to purchase the land.

“On numerous occasions, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHAPA) requested that applications be made to buy the land. These applications were made and proved futile,” the man explains. “It was then requested by CHAPA that we write letters to help solve the problem.”

Reportedly, the squatters wrote letters of apology and were promised that the land would be made available for purchase. Accordingly, they say, they filled out land-application forms.

The worried home-owners claim that, up to three weeks ago, the DCA called to find out if they were still interested in the land.

Then on Tuesday, November 12, they say that representatives from the DCA came to them, giving verbal notice that, at 9 a.m. today, Thursday, November 14, the houses would be demolished.

The 21 home-owners say they are seeking an extension to the Enforcement Notice as multiple families will be affected by this sudden planned demolition.

REAL News will continue to follow this story.

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