FLANKER, St James — WATER and Housing Minister Dr Horace Chang says the cost to develop low to middle-income housing is matched or outweighed by that with which Government is burdened as a result of squatting.

“The fact is that if we were to quantify the costs to the country as a result of informal housing developments, we would likely find that it is just as, or even more expensive than the costs that would be incurred to undertake formal housing for households in the mid to low-income brackets,” Dr Chang argued.

The Minister was speaking last week in Flanker at the groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of infrastructure work in that community and the handing over of seven land titles.

He listed environmental deterioration and the effects of crime as the two major costs created by the establishment of informal settlements.

“While environmental degradation and crime are not the only costs to country as a result of informal settlements they are the most devastating as they impact both sides of the equation,” Chang said.

“No discussion on costs associated with informal settlements would be complete if the issue of crime is not raised. The high density of many of these settlements coupled with the ad hoc manner in which they are laid out makes them difficult to police. It is therefore not surprising that many of them are awash with criminal activity and are a major source of concern for our law enforcement agencies,” he added.

The infrastructure work at Flanker, funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) at a cost of $157 million, constitutes the construction of roads, retaining and curb walls, drains and channels to provide infrastructure for 325 service lots.

This follows the first phase of the project in which infrastructure was provided in the community at a cost of $190million.

Commander of the Area One Police Division ACP Denver Frater, commended Chang, who is the MP for North West St James North West, for the upgrade in Flanker which has enabled the police to gain better access to that community.

“Years ago to get to this location we had to use tracks (foot paths). To do police work it was very challenging because of the difficulty of the terrain, because of the poor lighting system, because of the fear that existed in these communities. Today it is like a part of the highway getting from point A to point B,” he said.