Landowners are rarely consulted by the Government in efforts to address homelessness in Fiji.
Suva City Council (SCC) CEO Tevita Boseiwaqa, while discussing the council’s recent Voluntary Local Review (VLR), dismissed the commonly held belief that a lack of land is a root cause of homelessness.
“There is land. I’m talking as a landowner in a nearby province,” Mr Boseiwaqa said.
“It’s just that we are not approached. And the Minister for Local Government will vouch for that.”
Mr Boseiwaqa highlighted the need for greater collaboration between traditional landowning structures (the vanua) and formal institutions such as local governments and provincial councils.
He called for improved co-ordination and communication to unlock available land and address urban housing shortages.
“Sitting here, looking outside, I can see the vacant land.
“I think the problem is we are restricting ourselves within the city boundary.”
He suggested that expanding the city’s planning perspective and enhancing public transport systems could allow for better access to housing outside urban centres.
“In some big cities, people travel long distances to get home. That’s where planning comes in.
“We should consider decentralisation, moving development out of Suva’s urban core.”
