With around 120,000 people in the country living in fast growing squatter settlements, the Social Welfare Department has revealed that for this year alone, they are assisting only 39 families with housing grants.

Welfare Minister Dr Jiko Luveni said this is the number of people that have come forward in the past 8 months seeking assistance, adding that many people find problems with the high cost of living but do not step forward and ask for assistance.

Dr Luveni said this grant was started close to 15 years ago and said what needs to be realized is that the Ministry has assisted many so far, but for this year alone only 39 families have come to the Ministry seeking housing assistance and this is worrying.

All together, the Department is assisting 27,654 people under their general assistance scheme with 361 families receiving child support assistance.

Luveni added by 2010 there would be a record 150,000 squatters living in the Suva Nausori area.