1,000 house lots being allocated to Region Four low income earners

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) yesterday kicked off the allocation of house lots for low income earners in Region Four under its “Dream Realised” housing drive.

A total of 1,000 lots are due to be allocated at the two-day event, which will conclude at the National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, today.

Hailing the first day of the event a success, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal told Stabroek News that it is his ministry’s aim to deliver 6,000 to 7,000 house lots by the end of this year. To date, close to 5300 house lots have been allocated in regions 2, 3,4,5, 6 and 10, he noted.

“We have delivered closed to 500 house lots today. We aimed for 500 but not everyone showed up but who didn’t come today we will deal with them tomorrow [Tuesday],” he said as he gave an overview of the exercise.

With restrictions on large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Croal said they decided on a two-day event.

Since the new government took office last year, the ministry has been on a drive to deliver house lots and reduce the heavy backlog of applications.

At the event, landowners had the opportunity to meet with loan and insurance officers from the various companies and compare their offerings.

As the house lots were allocated, many awardees were overwhelmed with emotion as their years of waiting were at an end.

The delivery of the house lots was among the PPP/C’s promises during the 2020 elections campaign. The Irfaan Ali-led government is aiming to deliver 50,000 house lots at the end of five years.

Lucyana Peters, one of the recipients, was overjoyed to have received her house lot after waiting for almost a decade. She told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that “It means a lot to me because renting a house is not easy. It’s a lot of expectation out there. Owning your own house today, or the house lot, is a really extremely exciting thing…”

Balkarran Singh told DPI, “I’m so happy that like I am speechless right now, but it’s been something very good, the ministers are doing something very good they trying to help people….”

The low income house lots, located at Block 18, Plantation Golden, East Bank Demerara, were acquired at a cost of $250,000 at minimum.

Croal explained that the actual cost was subsidised by the government to make land ownership affordable for low income families.

“Low income housing for citizens is a pillar for development that is a representation of the commitment of our government to better the lives of all Guyanese,” he said.

Croal added that the area will be outfitted with roads, drains, culverts, access bridges, and a water distribution network along with social facilities required in every neighbourhood.

He announced that under the 2022 budget, some $2.2 billion will be directed towards the development of the new scheme.

Presently, he said, government is spending $10.1 billion in capital works to upgrade and construct infrastructure in communities on the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara.

“Persons have been querying when the works will be completed… I want to assure them that the ongoing works in the existing and new schemes are intended to be completed in time for them to access by the last quarter of this year…,” he disclosed.

Additionally, Croal said the ministry will be constructing 500 low income homes in the same Block 18 development. This project will be catered for in the 2022 budget, he told Stabroek News.

Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme

Meanwhile, Croal said that under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme, the ministry is moving to immediately construct 100 core homes at La Parfaite Harmonie and Sophia. He announced that government has received a no-objection from the Inter-American Development Bank on its loan for the construction of homes in La Parfaite Harmonie. The project, he said, is awaiting Cabinet’s no-objection for the awarding of contracts to commence the project.

The ministry also intends to construct similar homes at Victoria, on the East Coast, and at Grove, on the East Bank. He stated that initially the communities identified for the project were La Parfaite Harmonie and Sophia but after modifications they were given the green light to extend the programme. He noted, too, that under the programme, government will also be able to provide subsidies to upgrade existing houses in the villages identified.

Under the programme, road networks will be upgraded and will include the construction of pavements, sidewalks and drainage networks. Several streetlights would also be installed, and a multipurpose recreational facility constructed.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues, in brief remarks, said, “We are always here to support the working class and we are always here to ensure that our policies are pro-poor and always support those vulnerable communities and those who need it the most.”

She also stated that the programme is significant as it allows families to become owners of their own homes, a dream many have despite their income bracket.

During the two-day event, 334 persons will be presented with their land titles. Since the PPP/C got into government last August, Rodrigues said, over 1,900 land titles have been distributed across the country.