MORE than 30 families who were facing eviction from Phnom Penh’s Borei Keila community have in recent days accepted on-site relocation housing, backing down from their demand for compensation of at least US$20,000, a representative said.

On Friday, 128 families signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Hun Sen requesting either $40,000 in compensation or $20,000 and apartments measuring 4 metres by 12 metres, larger than the 3.8-by-9-metre units that have been offered.

But Nuth Sokly, a representative of the families, said Wednesday that 37 families had accepted apartments in the on-site relocation building, though he accused the company tasked with developing it, Phanimex, of offering them an additional unit to get them to do so.

“Some families moved to new houses because [Phanimex director] Suy Sophan gave them two houses per family,” he said, and added that the other 91 families would continue to press for $20,000.

Suy Sophan could not be reached for comment.

Prampi Makara district Governor Som Sovann denied that any of the families had been given two units. He also said that at least half of the families had accepted on-site relocation housing.

“Now half of them have received houses from us already. We have informed them that we have no policy of giving them two apartments, but still they refuse the offer,” he said.