By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AN estimated 20 shanty town residents in Andros fled from authorities last week after the Ministry of Works issued eviction notices on structures there as part of the government’s ongoing crackdown on illegal settlements.

The 28-day notices were posted on 80 homes in an area in North Andros known as “Heastie Farms” by the Unregulated Community in Action Taskforce.

Michelle Collie, chief social worker, confirmed that a team from Social Services accompanied officials to explain the purpose of the exercise and help residents seek alternative housing.

She said the team spoke with one Bahamian, but many people were not at home during the exercise.

Superintendent Stephen Carey, head of the task force, said three undocumented migrants were arrested after attempting to flee when the notices were posted.

He estimated about 20 people ran in total, most escaping.

He said this latest action underscores the taks force’s commitment to dismantling unregulated developments and urged the public to call the taskforce’s hotline with information.

“The Unregulated Communities task force is serious about their task in getting rid of all unregulated structures in the commonwealth of The Bahamas,” he said. “We will be going through The Bahamas identifying locations where they have structures that are unregulated.”

Craig Delancey, building controls officer, did not give a timeline for demolition, saying the task force would await further instructions before proceeding.

The demolition of shanty towns has long been a contentious issue.

Successive governments have cited health concerns, illegal land use, and building code violations to justify the removals, yet critics argue the approach lacks compassion and fails to address housing shortages.

Since ramping up efforts in November 2023, the Davis administration has reported the demolition of more than 500 unregulated structures across several islands.

In New Providence, communities such as Kool Acres, All Saints Way, Montgomery and parts of Coral Harbour have been cleared.

In Abaco, officials identified more than 500 illegal structures — over 150 of which have been removed, with roughly 240 remaining in one settlement. On Eleuthera, 184 out of 216 structures have been cleared.