1000 house lots distributed in new community on ECD

…more new housing schemes for ECD, massive infrastructural developments

As the Guyana Government continues to roll out its housing drive across the country, some 1000 new house lots were distributed on Friday under the “Dream Realised” initiative for a new community to developed on the East Coast of Demerara.

The new housing scheme, La Reconnaissance, is located on the southern side of the Railway Embankment next to Annandale, East Coast Demerara.
During the distribution exercise held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre Friday morning, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) Sherwyn Greaves posited that with the developments pegged for the East Coast corridor this new community will become a prime location.
“This area will become a most sought-after area. So those of you who will be allocated [there]… can count yourselves very lucky because you’re getting a location that will be prime very, very shortly,” he posited.

The CH&PA Head went on to outline some of the public amenities that La Reconnaissance will feature. These include a play school, two nursery schools, a primary school, a health centre, a post office, a police outpost, a market and a bus park. Additionally, five locations have been set aside for places of worship and another five spots for recreational fields. Lands were also identified for a cemetery in the new housing scheme.
The 1000 pieces of land distributed on Friday were for applications that were received prior to 2015.

Backlog reduced
According to Housing Minister Collin Croal, the massive backlog of applications for house lots in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) will be significantly reduced with Friday’s exercise.

“This allocation exercise will help bring relief to families who have been on the wait list for many years… We are focused on significantly reducing the demand for affordable housing and delivering well developed communities too. The cost of the lots that [were] handed out [Friday] are heavily subsidised by the Government and at a minimum of $200,000 per lot, allotees will pay far below market prices for prime spots of land. And the cost for its infrastructural works is $2.75 billion,” he noted.
Citing these significant investments by Government into developing communities to meet the housing demands, Minister Croal encouraged the recipients at Friday’s housing drive to engage the various commercial banks on location for financial guidance. This way, he noted, there will be no delays in starting construction of their homes.

Representatives of seven banks – New Building Society (NBS), Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), Republic Bank, Demerara Bank, Citizens Bank, Hand in Hand Trust Corporation and Bank of Baroda along with representatives from six insurance companies – NALICO/NAFICO, Assuria, Insurance Brokers Guyana, GTM, Diamond Insurance and Demerara Mutual had booths at the event.
Additionally, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) was also there to share information on local building materials as well as other companies offering household services.
Croal disclosed that since taking office in August 2020, Government has so far distributed some 6500 house lots and 2000 titles. He added that another 7000 house lots will be distributed before the end of this year, putting Government on track to fulfil its commitment of distributing 50,000 house lots during its five-year tenure.

On this note, he encouraged persons to apply for lands and those with applications already in the system to update their details.
“I want to reassure you that once you have an application in the system, we will get to you,” the Housing Minister stressed.
In fact, Croal teased about another new community that will be developed on the East Coast corridor in the near future to meet the housing demands of citizens. He went on to outline that these new housing schemes will be complemented by massive infrastructural projects that will be undertaken by the Housing and Water Ministry.
“Here on the East Coast, infrastructural works to the tune of $3.7 million are ongoing in Cummings Lodge 1768 and 1767, La Bonne Intention (LBI), Mon Repos, Annandale, Vigilance, Bladen Hall and Strathspey,” the Housing Minister stated.
Further infrastructural works on the East Coast corridor which are ongoing include the upgrading of existing access roads and bridges, unsurfaced roads, pipe networks and drains and culverts.

Govt’s commitment
Meanwhile, Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, speaking at Friday’s “Dream Realised” drive, noted that the distribution of the house lots is part of Government’s commitment towards enhancing the lives of low-income families.
“While our country is on the cusp of transformation – and we speak a lot of transformational projects and how Guyana will change, and develop, and transform in the coming years – activities like these and sectors of our Government that focus low-income families and focus on ensuring that our most vulnerable protected and are helped, and that they receive service from Government so that they can elevate themselves, and improve their lives. That is our main focus,” she asserted.
Rodrigues explained that striking that balance between development and improving the lives of Guyanese is critical to the PPP Government. She said every Guyanese must equally be part of the unprecedented changes that the country will undergo.
“We have to help all Guyanese move forward. We have to do it equitably and we have to do it at the same speed of development so that nobody is left out of the growth and progress that Guyana will see… We want everyone to benefit equally from every opportunity that is given to Guyanese. So while land is important for oil and gas and all of these other transformational sectors, making land available to Guyanese is most important to us,” Rodrigues stressed.
Many of the recipients, who had been waiting for years, at Friday’s housing drive were grateful to finally receive their house lots.
One man, 52-year-old Jaikaran Sugrim told reporters that he is “glad and happy” to have received his house lot after having applied since 1992. “At least everybody want they own [land]… I’m thankful to this PPP Government for giving me this house lot. Today, I’m a owner of a house lot,” he stated.
Meanwhile, another recipient, Shelly Gray, related that “I’m paying rent and now I will not have to pay rent [for much longer] because I’m concentrating on building my own home… Since 2008 [I applied for land so] it’s a great relief.” (G8)