A disturbing housing controversy has emerged in Trinidad following revelations that squatters attempted to occupy a government-subsidized home weeks before the legitimate owners were scheduled to receive their keys. The incident occurred at a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) townhouse in Riverside South, Corinth, near San Fernando, where a family with children had already made substantial payments toward the property.
The concerned couple, who have chosen to remain anonymous, filed an official police report on December 29 after being alerted that unauthorized individuals were inside their designated home and preparing to move in. This development has sparked a significant political confrontation regarding housing policy and property rights under the current administration.
Housing Minister David Lee initially responded to the situation on December 31, stating he would investigate the matter through HDC channels. However, the incident quickly escalated into a broader political debate when former housing minister Camille Robinson-Regis revealed that following the April 28 general election, the HDC had implemented a policy to ‘regularize squatters currently occupying HDC properties without permission.’
Robinson-Regis condemned this approach as fundamentally flawed, arguing that it represents governmental laziness and a problematic shortcut to addressing housing shortages. She highlighted the contradiction in government simultaneously condemning lawlessness while officially sanctioning illegal occupation of state properties.
The former minister connected this policy to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s recent characterization of Trinidad and Tobago as ‘a lawless dump’ during her defense of increased traffic fines. Robinson-Regis also referenced previous instances of political interference in housing matters, noting that Oropouche East MP Dr. Roodal Moonilal, now Energy Minister, had previously called for HDC to halt evictions by claiming those being removed were political targets of the PNM.
The controversy raises serious questions about ministerial oversight at HDC and whether current housing policies maintain the necessary standards of fairness, transparency, and respect for the rule of law that should govern public housing distribution.