Housing meets all targets in 2011
A GINA feature
Friday, December 30, 2011
Source - GINA
Housing Minister Irfaan Ali facilitates this trainee teacher to select her house lot number
The Ministry of Housing and Water encapsulates two very important social sectors, that are both pivotal components of the nation’s socio-economic development, and critical to the daily wellbeing of the Guyanese people. The successes achieved over years continued in 2011 and includes the development of housing schemes and regularization and upgrade of squatter settlements and the granting of transports and certificates of title to land, along with the provision of services such as access roads, water distribution and drainage networks.
While the staff of the various sectors of the Ministry did an outstanding job in 2011, there is still room for improvement. Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali said his Ministry has reached all its targeted outcomes for 2011.
House lot targets superceded
In the housing sector, the targeted allocation of 6,500 house lots, was exceeded by 40% as 8,981 lots were allocated. In the critical aspect of empowering persons to acquire loans, the processing of titles and transport exceed its target by 12%. The specific target was 6, 500 titles to be processed but 7,325 were completed. In existing housing schemes, 62.24 km of roads, 124.88 km of drains and 15 km of pipelines were completed in 2011.
Urban development and new projects
The launch of the Urban Development Project, Parliament Square, Stabroek Square and Brickdam upgrade plans were three core areas identified for work in 2011. Minister Ali reported that 80% of the physical work for Parliament Square has been completed, while the design and the final stage of consultation regarding the Brickdam plan has been done. The conceptual design of the Stabroek Market Square has also been completed.
A road in a Housing Scheme
For new housing developments in 13 new housing schemes, $2.560 B has been spent for the construction of roads, drains and structures. This has seen the completion of 88.7 km of roads, 173.9 km of drains and 96.4 km of pipelines. This investment serviced 5,647 house lots bringing benefit to approx 23,153 persons.
Under urban planning, design perspectives and guidelines for the Brickdam Street Scape Project have been completed. Intensive stakeholder participation sessions to garner support for and input into this project were carried out and it will be implemented next year. This project will see the revitalization, modernization and upliftment of Brickdam into a modern state of the art street that would meet and match any of its sister streets in other cities around the world.
Collaboration is ongoing on the development of the Parliamentary Square and has been completed for the development of the Stabroek Market Square.
One important aspect of the Ministry’s work being the use of information technology, there has been focus on the continued expansion of the Geographic Information System (GIS). This is focused on the capturing and mapping of spatial data in schemes and areas under the community planning projects. The exercise involves areas in Regions 3, 4, 5,9 and 10. In the new year, the GIS will be expanded to be used as an effective management tool for the CHPA.
Core homes
Under the community housing and development department the target for the Core Homes was to have 84 homes at varying stages of construction in 2011. By the end of 2011, 31 houses will be completed and handed over. There are currently 53 core homes under construction.
A core home for low income earners
Due to a public/private partnership launched this year with professional groups, 60 single flat homes have been completed due to collaboration among the Ministry, private sector, and the banking sector.
New industrial complexes
In the planning department, approximately 800 applications for land use permission for business and building purposes have been processed. Several of these were for new businesses in Government of Guyana housing schemes. This indicates the progressive development of these schemes as full fledged communities.
One such area is the new Eccles scheme for which approval has been granted for more than five light industrial commercial complexes. These will employ more than 300 persons upon completion.
Community planning and involvement
Community planning, participation, involvement and partnership is a critical part of the work at the Central Housing and Planning Authority. In 2001 the Ministry embarked on a programme of actively involving the community in the decision making process of the Ministry. In 2011 community planning meetings in various regions, including 3,4,9 and 10 were completed, and community development plans were prepared in four of those regions (Lusignan, Belle West, Tuschen, Amelia’s Ward and Linden), with assistance under the Guyana/Canada Community Planning Project. Two Community centers were also established in Lusignan and Belle West.
Belle West Multi purpose centre, Region Three
In the critical East Bank area expansion is continuous, 1000 house lots will be made available with the completion of the Eccles component, while there is continued expansion through the Herstelling component. Another 400 acres in Providence for moderate income earners will bring close to 800 house lots available by 2012.
NDCs , the CDB and old housing areas
In collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Community Roads Improvement Project will be implemented, which will see the improvement of over 200 roads within 12 NDCs in Regions 3, 4, 5, and 6. These roads will see the level move to double bituminous surface treatment, or asphalted concrete.
Once canefields, the now densely populated Diamond housing scheme
However, the Ministry is not totally focused only on new areas, but is spending some amount of resources on the old housing areas. Some of the NDCs under this programme include, Bath, Woodley Park, Tuschen, Uitvlugt, Lusignan, Zeelugt, Unity, Vereening, Port Mourant, Mon Repos, Stewartville, Cornelia Ida, Enmore, Grove, Haslington, Hope, Best, Klein, Pouderoyen, Industry, Plaisance, Golden Grove and Diamond. The overall percentage of work completed to date is 35.
The investment the Government of Guyana and the CDB would make in these NDCs is in excess of $2.4B in 2011. Close to $800M has been spent, $323M has been paid, and the remainder is at the CDB for final disbursement.
Housing sector in 2012
2012 will see aggressive work on plans to have squatting come to an end within three years. Part of this plan would see the development of Sunset legislation. There will be a final list of all the squatting areas that can be regularized, and work will be done to complete the regularization of those areas.
Areas that cannot be regularized, will see a planned programme to have relocation plans implemented. Areas of critical importance include the East Ruimveldt Front Road, Container City, and Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
While this might have seemed an impossible task in the past, due to rapid investment by government, persons can now legally accomplish having their own house lot, so accessibility to land is easy. When the PPP/C administration took office there were 270 squatter areas, 200 of which have been regularized, with maybe another 25 areas that can be. Those will be the ones focused on, whilst for the remainder which cannot be regularized, next year work will be done on relocation plans. Within the three-year period, those areas will have a complete relocation plan. Enforcement will be in place to ensure that new squatter settlements do not emerge, and that zero tolerance zones are free from squatting such as the drainage and sea defense reserves.
Targets will also be set that will not be less than that of 2011 in terms of the processing of titles and transport, and in terms of house lot allocation. Expansion on the East Bank will be continuing along with some new development on the East Coast, and continued expansion in Region 3.
Phase 3 of the Amelia’s Ward phase will be completed, and in Bartica, 500 new lots will be made available for Region 7. Lots are now available in Region 8, and infrastructure will be finalized in Region 1. In Region 9, the Tabatinga and Culvert City schemes will be completed, while community planning in the hinterland communities will be examined.
Minister Irfaan Ali and Region Eight Chairman Senor Bell review plan for new housing scheme in Mahdia
Challenges for 2012
Every challenge is an opportunity and not a problem according to Minister Ali. Given the political context in which Government will now operate, he noted that it will call for a higher level of maturity and nationalistic thinking, “and once we are mature in our thinking, once we think in a nationalistic, patriotic manner, the benefit and livelihood of our people and improvement of their lives will be paramount, and once that is paramount, I think that the resounding benefit will come back to the people.”
While he does not see this as a challenge, “next year is going to be challenging in the context of rising prices of materials on the international market. This is something we will have to plan to mitigate against,” he said.
Home ownership will be accelerated and work done on improving and expanding partnerships with the financial sector. There has been discussion with the police co-op society, regarding investment and the Ministry will be looking at working out an investment arrangement that can bring benefit to persons in the disciplined forces and to expand the partnership with professional groups.
One of big challenges for next year, is to make the Building Expo, the Caribbean Building and Construction Expo.
Under focus also will be the building codes and the Ministry will work alongside the Bureau of Standards to draft building codes. While there are some buildings in contravention of the codes, they have been advised of what are the requirements.
A GINA feature
Friday, December 30, 2011
Source - GINA
Housing Minister Irfaan Ali facilitates this trainee teacher to select her house lot numberThe Ministry of Housing and Water encapsulates two very important social sectors, that are both pivotal components of the nation’s socio-economic development, and critical to the daily wellbeing of the Guyanese people. The successes achieved over years continued in 2011 and includes the development of housing schemes and regularization and upgrade of squatter settlements and the granting of transports and certificates of title to land, along with the provision of services such as access roads, water distribution and drainage networks.
While the staff of the various sectors of the Ministry did an outstanding job in 2011, there is still room for improvement. Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali said his Ministry has reached all its targeted outcomes for 2011.
House lot targets superceded
In the housing sector, the targeted allocation of 6,500 house lots, was exceeded by 40% as 8,981 lots were allocated. In the critical aspect of empowering persons to acquire loans, the processing of titles and transport exceed its target by 12%. The specific target was 6, 500 titles to be processed but 7,325 were completed. In existing housing schemes, 62.24 km of roads, 124.88 km of drains and 15 km of pipelines were completed in 2011.
Urban development and new projects
The launch of the Urban Development Project, Parliament Square, Stabroek Square and Brickdam upgrade plans were three core areas identified for work in 2011. Minister Ali reported that 80% of the physical work for Parliament Square has been completed, while the design and the final stage of consultation regarding the Brickdam plan has been done. The conceptual design of the Stabroek Market Square has also been completed.
A road in a Housing SchemeFor new housing developments in 13 new housing schemes, $2.560 B has been spent for the construction of roads, drains and structures. This has seen the completion of 88.7 km of roads, 173.9 km of drains and 96.4 km of pipelines. This investment serviced 5,647 house lots bringing benefit to approx 23,153 persons.
Under urban planning, design perspectives and guidelines for the Brickdam Street Scape Project have been completed. Intensive stakeholder participation sessions to garner support for and input into this project were carried out and it will be implemented next year. This project will see the revitalization, modernization and upliftment of Brickdam into a modern state of the art street that would meet and match any of its sister streets in other cities around the world.
Collaboration is ongoing on the development of the Parliamentary Square and has been completed for the development of the Stabroek Market Square.
One important aspect of the Ministry’s work being the use of information technology, there has been focus on the continued expansion of the Geographic Information System (GIS). This is focused on the capturing and mapping of spatial data in schemes and areas under the community planning projects. The exercise involves areas in Regions 3, 4, 5,9 and 10. In the new year, the GIS will be expanded to be used as an effective management tool for the CHPA.
Core homes
Under the community housing and development department the target for the Core Homes was to have 84 homes at varying stages of construction in 2011. By the end of 2011, 31 houses will be completed and handed over. There are currently 53 core homes under construction.
A core home for low income earnersDue to a public/private partnership launched this year with professional groups, 60 single flat homes have been completed due to collaboration among the Ministry, private sector, and the banking sector.
New industrial complexes
In the planning department, approximately 800 applications for land use permission for business and building purposes have been processed. Several of these were for new businesses in Government of Guyana housing schemes. This indicates the progressive development of these schemes as full fledged communities.
One such area is the new Eccles scheme for which approval has been granted for more than five light industrial commercial complexes. These will employ more than 300 persons upon completion.
Community planning and involvement
Community planning, participation, involvement and partnership is a critical part of the work at the Central Housing and Planning Authority. In 2001 the Ministry embarked on a programme of actively involving the community in the decision making process of the Ministry. In 2011 community planning meetings in various regions, including 3,4,9 and 10 were completed, and community development plans were prepared in four of those regions (Lusignan, Belle West, Tuschen, Amelia’s Ward and Linden), with assistance under the Guyana/Canada Community Planning Project. Two Community centers were also established in Lusignan and Belle West.
Belle West Multi purpose centre, Region ThreeIn the critical East Bank area expansion is continuous, 1000 house lots will be made available with the completion of the Eccles component, while there is continued expansion through the Herstelling component. Another 400 acres in Providence for moderate income earners will bring close to 800 house lots available by 2012.
NDCs , the CDB and old housing areas
In collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Community Roads Improvement Project will be implemented, which will see the improvement of over 200 roads within 12 NDCs in Regions 3, 4, 5, and 6. These roads will see the level move to double bituminous surface treatment, or asphalted concrete.
Once canefields, the now densely populated Diamond housing schemeHowever, the Ministry is not totally focused only on new areas, but is spending some amount of resources on the old housing areas. Some of the NDCs under this programme include, Bath, Woodley Park, Tuschen, Uitvlugt, Lusignan, Zeelugt, Unity, Vereening, Port Mourant, Mon Repos, Stewartville, Cornelia Ida, Enmore, Grove, Haslington, Hope, Best, Klein, Pouderoyen, Industry, Plaisance, Golden Grove and Diamond. The overall percentage of work completed to date is 35.
The investment the Government of Guyana and the CDB would make in these NDCs is in excess of $2.4B in 2011. Close to $800M has been spent, $323M has been paid, and the remainder is at the CDB for final disbursement.
Housing sector in 2012
2012 will see aggressive work on plans to have squatting come to an end within three years. Part of this plan would see the development of Sunset legislation. There will be a final list of all the squatting areas that can be regularized, and work will be done to complete the regularization of those areas.
Areas that cannot be regularized, will see a planned programme to have relocation plans implemented. Areas of critical importance include the East Ruimveldt Front Road, Container City, and Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
While this might have seemed an impossible task in the past, due to rapid investment by government, persons can now legally accomplish having their own house lot, so accessibility to land is easy. When the PPP/C administration took office there were 270 squatter areas, 200 of which have been regularized, with maybe another 25 areas that can be. Those will be the ones focused on, whilst for the remainder which cannot be regularized, next year work will be done on relocation plans. Within the three-year period, those areas will have a complete relocation plan. Enforcement will be in place to ensure that new squatter settlements do not emerge, and that zero tolerance zones are free from squatting such as the drainage and sea defense reserves.
Targets will also be set that will not be less than that of 2011 in terms of the processing of titles and transport, and in terms of house lot allocation. Expansion on the East Bank will be continuing along with some new development on the East Coast, and continued expansion in Region 3.
Phase 3 of the Amelia’s Ward phase will be completed, and in Bartica, 500 new lots will be made available for Region 7. Lots are now available in Region 8, and infrastructure will be finalized in Region 1. In Region 9, the Tabatinga and Culvert City schemes will be completed, while community planning in the hinterland communities will be examined.
Minister Irfaan Ali and Region Eight Chairman Senor Bell review plan for new housing scheme in MahdiaChallenges for 2012
Every challenge is an opportunity and not a problem according to Minister Ali. Given the political context in which Government will now operate, he noted that it will call for a higher level of maturity and nationalistic thinking, “and once we are mature in our thinking, once we think in a nationalistic, patriotic manner, the benefit and livelihood of our people and improvement of their lives will be paramount, and once that is paramount, I think that the resounding benefit will come back to the people.”
While he does not see this as a challenge, “next year is going to be challenging in the context of rising prices of materials on the international market. This is something we will have to plan to mitigate against,” he said.
Home ownership will be accelerated and work done on improving and expanding partnerships with the financial sector. There has been discussion with the police co-op society, regarding investment and the Ministry will be looking at working out an investment arrangement that can bring benefit to persons in the disciplined forces and to expand the partnership with professional groups.
One of big challenges for next year, is to make the Building Expo, the Caribbean Building and Construction Expo.
Under focus also will be the building codes and the Ministry will work alongside the Bureau of Standards to draft building codes. While there are some buildings in contravention of the codes, they have been advised of what are the requirements.
