CHEAP HOUSING

New bill would benefit squatters

01-19-2009 | MARIJULIA PUJOL LLOYD

mpujolstar@laestrella.com.pa

The government’s solution to the housing problem might be to give land to squatters, raising concern among landowners

Panama Star The project will allow the government to track the proprietors of the land and pay them a fair price for the plot. Then the Housing Ministry will proceed to get the title for the plot, build houses, construct roads, sewers, aqueducts and other infrastructure for the squatters, who will be able to buy their houses at a low price.

Squatters are a big problem in Panama, because these land invaders take over large plots and it becomes virtually impossible for legal owners to evict them from their properties, especially after squatters have occupied the area for 15 years, when the latter acquire possessory rights.

Over the last few years squatters have invaded land belonging to the National Environmental Authority, the Panama Canal Authority and other areas in Arraijan, Chorrera and Pacora.

They have demanded that the government build houses and infrastructures in lands that do not belong to them and have even taken their demands to the streets.

The Minister of Housing, Gabriel Diez said that the housing problem is a complex one mainly because there are no low budget houses for destitute people. The bill, he says, is to help them.

“Land invaders are all over the country and we need to find a solution for them. However, those who are trespassing into protected areas such as parks will be evicted,” said Diez.

The Minister said that land invasion is not the solution for the housing problem, on the contrary the person who does that brings more trouble for himself such as lack of water, electricity and proper sewer. “We do not agree with land invasions.”

Legitimate landowners are not very happy with the government’s measures, because land invaders have caused them problems that in many cases have prevented them from selling their properties to third parties.

Some fear that if the bill is approved it will provide a carte blanche to squatters to invade any property they want, because the government will eventually buy the land for them.

Land invaders are a problem that cannot be solved just with legislation, but respecting other people’s property.

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POSSESSORY RIGHTS

For many years squatters have invaded prime plots of land all over the country. The majority of the properties around the Pacific coast of Herrera, Veraguas and Los Santos do not have titles, just possessory rights, because nobody really knows who the owners are.

The proposed squatters bill will help to a certain extent to solve the housing problem in Panama, but on the other hand what will happen to those owners who want their land back to build a resort, or want to sell it to a third party or keep it within a family, will the government make those people sell it or evict the squatters.

Perhaps when the bill is discussed at the Assembly these questions will be answered fully and the land owners will rest assured that nobody is going to take their land away.

MARIJULIA PUJOL LLOYD