Squatters Set Up Home In School

Hon Alden McLaughlin, Minister for Education	Marie Martin, George Town Primary School Principal

The buildings occupied by the squatters.

One of the rooms in the condemned school building
that squatters have made home.

Friday,  June  17, 2005

The Minister of Education Hon Alden McLaughlin was greeted with another surprise in his new role recently when he discovered that squatters had moved into some condemned buildings on the premises of George Town Primary School.

There are estimated to be more than 30 people using these buildings as a home and it is believed they could have been doing so since the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.

“These buildings were condemned some time ago and the school has not been using them since well before the hurricane, however it is evident that more than 30 persons have set up home in the five buildings,” said Mr McLaughlin who after receiving information about the matter instigated a meeting with the principal of the school Marie Martin to see the situation for himself last week.

“I have issued instructions to have these people removed after seeing the evidence for myself,” said the Minister. “Although steps will be taken to ensure they are treated as humanely as possible, regardless of their circumstances the situation cannot continue. The persons in question do appear to have managed to hook up to the electricity supply. The living conditions are unacceptable and we cannot have people living in school grounds even if the buildings are no longer in use.”

The buildings in question are fenced off from the main school, as the plan was to bulldoze them under the previous administration’s proposed re-development of the George Town Primary site. The buildings are low lying and have always been subjected to flooding well before Ivan, which contributed to the decision to condemn them.

The dilemma over the future development of the school continues and Mr McLaughlin said future plans are still under discussion, but dealing with the people who have settled in the buildings is now a priority.

According to the school principal, Mrs Martin, the squatters may have been coming back and forth since the hurricane and although she has reported the situation before and had them removed, they keep returning. One reason she suspects is because some of the squatters also work as security guards for the school. Mrs Martin also believes that some of the people living there are Caymanians and should therefore have gone to the relevant department for assistance.

“What I know for certain is that there are at least three Caymanian adults living here,” said Mrs Martin.

“I would not want to call these people homeless because, as Caymanians, they are eligible to assistance from the Child and Family Services Department. There has been sufficient time for them to access help from that Department. I believe these people are in for a free ride, what with having access to water and electricity at no cost to them.”

She estimated more than twenty people were living in the buildings and said the first set of occupants came in after the hurricane.

“Since that time the number keeps increasing. Two of the occupants work as Security Guards for the school. They came in right after the storm and have just stayed on,” she added.

“They are occupying approximately twelve rooms. Some are sharing and I know some are living as couples, however they have all set themselves up quite comfortably.

Mrs Martin reassured parents however, that the children have had no contact with the area because that section has been fenced off. Mr McLaughlin also said that no children were living in the properties and he believed that many of those that had set up home in the buildings were itinerate or temporary workers.

“This is a sensitive situation but we must deal with it as it cannot be allowed to continue,” said the Minister.

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