200 house lots distributed on WCD

– 5 new housing developments being upgraded in Reg 3

Some 200 families have been allocated house lots in Stewartville and Meten-Meer-Zorg on the West Coast of Demerara in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

A mother holding her child selecting her lot number during Friday’s outreach

This was done during an outreach at the West Demerara Secondary School on Friday, led by Housing Minister Collin Croal and a team from the Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA). Regional Chairman Ishan Ayube and Vice Chairman Omesh Satyanand were also present.
The outreach was geared towards addressing housing matters in Region Three. Allottees were allowed to pull their respective lot number and make an initial payment.
In brief remarks, Minister Croal acknowledged that the exercise is not sufficient to meet the housing demand in Region Three. However, he noted that in the coming weeks, a massive allocation exercise will be held in the region under the Ministry’s flagship “Dream Realised” Housing Drive.
Region Three has approximately 14,000 pending land applications. To meet this demand, the Minister said that new lands are being sought after and plans for the construction of some 500 low-income homes are progressing.
Meanwhile, approximately $3.4 billion is being expended on infrastructural development at five new housing developments in the region, namely: Cornelia Ida, Anna Catherina, Edinburg, Meten-Meer-Zorg, and Stewartville.
These works include the installation of water supply networks and the construction of access roads, bridges, culverts, and drainage networks.
Only Sunday last, the CH&PA handed over house lots in the new Stewartville Housing Scheme to 10 families who are squatting at the Zeelugt Sideline Dam, East Bank Essequibo.

Some of the beneficiaries of the 200 house lots distributed at the West Demerara Secondary School outreach on Friday

That was in keeping with a previous commitment made by Minister Croal during an outreach to Region Three last month during which he assured residents that the agency is working to fast-track relocation and regularisation in informal settlements.
A total of thirteen persons are squatting in the Zeelugt area, however, the other three persons have already been allocated house lots in Stewartville and other nearby schemes.
It was noted that the area occupied by the informal settlers is nearby the community’s primary school and as such poses several issues. The relocation is therefore expected to improve the environs of Zeelugt, while also improving the living conditions of the squatters.
The new Stewartville housing scheme is already equipped with first-phase infrastructure and utilities such as roads, drainage networks, and water.
Nevertheless, the Ministry on Friday further pointed to several incoming Government projects for Region Three such as the Schoonord, West Bank Demerara (EBD) to Crane, WCD four-lane highway, which is being executed under the Ministry of Housing and Water.
This proposed highway is expected to run 2.4 miles (3.9 kilometres). It will reduce traffic congestion along the West Bank and West Coast Demerara corridors, while at the same time modernise the country’s infrastructure and create avenues for housing and commercial development.
Moreover, in the coming years, Region Three will also benefit from a new Demerara River bridge, as well as improvements in the education and health sectors.