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WALMER ESTATE residents are fuming as after a year, the provincial Department of Housing has failed to remove squatters from a derelict house.

Residents maintain that the provincial government is dragging its heels at the expense of ratepayers, who have to contend with anti-social behaviour from scores of squatters who have taken up residence at the double-storey house in Perth Road.

Residents and squatters maintain the house is the responsibility of provincial government.

Similarly, when People's Post attempted to source comment from both the provincial Departments of Housing and Public Works on se?veral occasions, it was not afforded a response to a query regarding who is responsible for the management of the house or what would happen to these squatters, should the house be demolished.

The house in question ? an ill-maintained eyesore, say residents ? is always abuzz with suspicious activity, various cars visiting and loud music disturbing the rest of the neighbourhood.

Senior Superintendent Pierre van der Riel, Station Commissio?ner of the Woodstock Police Station, confirms that the house has often been visited by police officers, but he could not confirm if any illegal substances had at any stage been confiscated from the property.

A resident who lives on a neighbouring property, but who did not want to be named for fear of his family being intimidated, says there are always various cars at the house. "There are always cars coming there with loud music. The point is, they are not even supposed to be there.

"They don't pay rent, they are squatting. It seems more and more people arrive to live there every time you look."

The neighbour explains that he has been at the forefront of lobbying for the residents to be removed and the house demolished.

"We plan to write up a petition and forward it to the provincial Department of Housing so that something can be done about this."

The resident claims the owner of the house passed away over a year ago and the house has become the responsibility of the provincial Department of Housing.

Erick Lunda, a Congolese immigrant, lives on the property and says he was asked by the previous owner to act as a security guard on the property.

Despite the owner's death, Lunda stayed on and confirms no-one is currently paying rent on the site. Lunda explains that representatives from the provincial government had visited them last year and promised to explain what would happen to the house and residents, but he remains unsure.

Ebrahiem Gamieldien also lives on the property; his parents have lived in the area for decades, he says. Gamieldien lives in one section of the derelict house with his young family.

"It is bad, because every time you look you see new people who come to live here."

Gamieldien agrees there is drug trade happening on the premises, but blames this on the community of foreign nationals, whom he claims tried to entice his teenage daughter when she lived with him previously.

Ward councillor for the area, Cedric Thomas, says that the provincial Department of Housing needs to take responsibility for the pro?perty as a matter urgency.

"Provincial government must come to the party here. It is their responsibility, but they are not doing their bit."

Thomas says derelict houses inhabited by tenants continue to be a problem in ward 57.

"It must be because of the area's close proximity to the city. Landlords know people are desperate for housing, so they don't care what their places look like. Most of these tenants are immigrants."

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