SQUATTERS say they are prepared to stay in a home needed for a controversial road widening project in Brisbane for up to six months — or until it becomes community housing.

Feargal McGovern said he and eight others from the Anti-Poverty Network were squatting at a Lytton Rd house due to be removed today for the $150 million Stage One of the Wynnum Rd Upgrade Corridor.

He said they had not been told to leave by the police or the council and were prepared to stay for six months or “as long as it takes for these to be made into community housing”.

Workers had already started taking apart the house immediately next door while a house further up the street was being loaded onto two trucks.

Mr McGovern said Brisbane City Council should spend the money on turning the homes into community housing instead of widening the road.

“We want a city for the people and not for cars ... to campaign for community housing and better public transport,” he said.

He said supporters had already donated enough food to last them a week.

media_camera Squatters inside the Lytton Rd home are protesting against homelessness and the destruction of homes for roadway. Picture: Ellen-Maree Elliot

Across the road residents picketed against widening Lytton Rd brandishing signs that read: “Destroying homes for a dud project” and “Widening Lytton Rd won’t fix congestion”.

Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri (The Gabba) said the two groups were protesting the project from different angles showed how varied and strong opposition to the project was.

Again, he said there had not been consultation on the best way to ease congestion on the corridor and the council should be investing in transit lanes and targeted intersection upgrades.

He praised the squatters and said it was a squatting movement in the late ’80s and early ’90s that saved a number of heritage homes in West End.

Cr Sri repeated concerns, reported by the South-East Advertiser in February, that residents believed the resumption for the widening was “a huge cash grab”.

“Most of the land being reclaimed here is not going to be used, most of it will be sold back to the development sector to recoup some of the costs of the project,” he said.

“Suddenly you’re selling riverfront properties in the middle of the city.”

He said even if the squatters and protesters could not save the homes, it should send “a strong message to the council” that projects like these were not supported by the community.

media_camera Residents protest against Lytton Rd widening on Monday morning. Picture: Ellen-Maree Elliot

Earlier, Protesters moved in overnight to occupy one of four homes prepared for removal today along Lytton Rd in East Brisbane.

Residents were advised late last week four of the 48 homes to be resumed for stage one of the Wynnum Rd Corridor Upgrade would be removed today.

In an eleventh hour bid to save the character streetscape along Lytton Rd, members of the Lytton Rd is Wide Enough group last week called on Heritage Minister Steven Miles to put a stop work notice on the removals.

Despite providing Mr Miles’ office with a detailed heritage assessment report which identified some homes believed to be pre-1911, the Minister would not intervene on the matter.

A Department of Environment and Heritage spokeswoman said the approval of the resumptions was “not within the Minister’s portfolio responsibilities”.

Council Infrastructure Chairwoman Amanda Cooper said although property acquisitions were still underway for the project, “any required house removals would occur subject to finalisation of acquisitions and other project milestones”.

Eleven of the homeowners are still in negotiations with the council.

media_camera Squatters have taken over the house on the right as work begins on the home on the left to remove it. Picture: Ellen-Maree Elliot