$2B in works underway at Shieldstown Housing Development

Over $2 billion is being invested into infrastructure for the Shieldstown Housing Development in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
The project, which includes road construction and installation of drainage networks, is divided into six lots. Once completed, the scheme will yield over 700 residential house lots.
On Friday, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal conducted a site visit in the area alongside Member of Parliament Faizal Jaffarally, Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Director of Community Development Gladwin Charles and senior engineers.

Following land inspection, Croal urged contractors to take advantage of the current dry season to expedite the project and ensure that allottees gain swift access to their lands.
He further emphasised the substantial investments made in the region thus far, with over 1000 house lots already allocated to residents.
Meanwhile, some $4 billion is being expended to collectively develop the Shieldstown, Blairmont (Balthyock), Experiment, and Burma Housing Schemes, with the Ministry seeking to acquire additional lands in the region.
To better address individual concerns, Croal also conducted one-on-one meetings with residents to resolve their specific issues.

Additionally, several allocations were done for persons with existing applications.
Last November, some 700 residents were allocated their low-income and moderate-income house lots—costing between $200,000 to $500,000 each—within the Shieldstown Housing Scheme during the region’s second “Dream Realised” housing drive of 2022.
The first allocation exercise, which was held earlier last year, saw at least 400 persons being assigned their house lots.
These exercises form part of the Housing Ministry’s agenda of distributing 50,000 house lots by 2025.