After less than five months in office, the Government, through the Housing Ministry, has been able to deliver 3600 house lots to citizens of Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Residents of Berbice take lot numbers from Housing Ministers Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues during the Dream Realised housing initiative in Region Six on Tuesday
This disclosure was made by Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal on Tuesday at the University of Guyana’s Tain Campus on the Corentyne in Berbice, where the ‘Dream Realised’ housing project was again housed and an additional 300 house lots were distributed to residents of the region.
The house lots were distributed at Number 75 Village, Corriverton, Williamsburg, Hampshire and Ordinance Fort Lands.
According to Croal, the Ministry has now surpassed its target for this year. He noted that, initially, having taken office in August, the Government had set a target of 3000 house lots to be distributed for the year. However, with the 300 distributed on Tuesday, it now brings the total to 3600.
As part of its five-year plan, Government has set a goal of 50,000 house lots to be distributed.
When the Coalition Government took office in 2015, the Housing Ministry was reduced to a department, but it has been restored under the PPP/C administration.
According to the Housing Minister, the focus is on applicants who had been waiting for years.
“So when you take into consideration ongoing works in Region Six and the minimal work that is required in 2021 for the allocations that are being made, we are talking about $1.2B into the economy of Region Six on infrastructure work for roads, drainage, water connection and electricity…” Croal said, noting that this is separate and apart from the construction of houses, which will see the creation of a number of opportunities for employment as well as wealth generation.
“We are also encouraging persons to start the process to ensure that you are on your way to building your own home,” Croal added.
“Among the many things that we will be focusing on is to ensure that our regional offices can respond to many of the issues that are confronted in a timely manner, and not just have persons waiting for information or having them travel to Georgetown. So, across the country, there are other activities of Central Housing and Planning Authority for which we will be strengthened, and our regional offices is one such programme that we will target.”
Croal noted that early in 2021, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) residents will be among those that would benefit from the ‘Dream Realised’ initiative.
“…by the end of January or early February in 2021, we will be conducting an outreach activity along with the staff of CHPA in Region Five,” Croal committed.
Meanwhile, while the current focus is on applicants who have been waiting for years, Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, is optimistic that the Ministry would be able to deal with the backlog along with the new applications.
“Just use our track record for the past four months and you can say comfortable to your family and your friends, or those who you know are waiting for their allocation, that it is coming. Let them know that it is coming, because if we can do what we have done over the past four months, then in the next five years we will be able to deliver house lots to all those who desire such,” she said.
The Dream Realised initiative have seen the distribution of land titles and transports that were stalled for years. (Andrew Carmichael)
