Owning a piece of the rock and staking an authentic claim to this country has been the dream of most Barbadians.While the history of plantocracy on the island meant that the majority of working class Barbadians were tenants, that was never to be the end game of those who had their work status tied to the plantations on which their chattel houses were situated.The aim was to be homeowners firstly and land owners ultimately. We can even go so far as to argue that Barbadians tend to be homeowners and it is the minority who rented houses or apartments. Today, the dynamics are shifting, as young people, who once tended to stay at home into their 30s or even 40s, until they were in a financially stronger position to acquire their own homes, are now choosing to rent apartments as soon as they have steady employment or income source.There has also been another evolving situation, and that is squatting. It has many dimensions, with the overwhelming causation being poverty. There have been many reported cases of persons who start out as renters and run into financial difficulty meeting all their commitments and decide to take their chances squatting on private property, or on lands of the state.
