Three Region Six families have each received keys to new homes constructed with the complements of the charitable NGO Food For The Poor (FFTP), which in collaboration with the St Francis Community Developers presented the Henrys, Frasers and Veerapens with the keys to these houses, located in the Corentyne Coast communities of Port Mourant, Rose Hall Town and Williamsburg.
Speaking at a simple handing over ceremony held at the St Francis office at Rose Hall Town, Senior Manager of FFTP, Andrea Benjamin, who has responsibility for the project, said access to adequate housing is a basic human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She explained that the housing programme is designed to provide assistance to underprivileged families in need of adequate shelter, and allows families to realize their dreams of owning their own homes.
The houses which was donated to three Berbice families
It is estimated that worldwide, over 1.1 billion people in urban areas alone lack access to adequate housing, the majority of whom live in developed countries.
“Adequate housing is fundamental to improved living standards among the poor and low income families,” she declared.
This housing programme, implemented 12 years ago, has seen more than 3,000 housing units being constructed in six regions (from Region One to Region Six).
“All of our houses are free of cost (to beneficiaries). Beneficiaries are, however, asked to provide some form of sweat equality, which basically involves digging the pit for the sanitation facility. You are getting a gift, we are only asking you to care and maintain our structures,” Ms Benjamin declared.
One hundred and forty units were constructed last year, including a village with 43 houses and a community centre at Onderneeming, West Coast Berbice. Ms Benjamin has urged the recipient families to take care of the houses they have received.
She noted that improved living conditions lead to economic development.
Guyana is in a housing crisis. There is a housing deficit of more than 20,000 units for low income families. Access to affordable housing is out of the reach of the average Guyanese, but mortgages for upper and middle income families are readily available; and it is generally difficult for low income earners to acquire loans for housing purposes. Food For the Poor houses are 20’x 16’ wooden structures consisting of two bedrooms and indoor sanitation facilities. “You guys are very lucky, because right now the demand outweighs our ability to provide housing for the applicants that we have,” Ms Benjamin disclosed. According to Benjamin all of the funding for the FFTP projects comes from donors.
Meanwhile, President of the St Francis Community Developers, Alex Foster, noted that ten other homes are slated to be built next month, and a further fifty by the end of September.
