32 more Laing Avenue families receive housing vouchers

In a move to assist homeowners in upgrading their living standards, another 32 households in Laing Avenue, Georgetown, received vouchers valued at $250,000 each on Monday. In addition, they also received an extra $100,000 to cover labour expenses.
The vouchers were distributed by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, during a simple handing-over ceremony at St. Pius Primary School, Cemetery Road, Georgetown.

This latest allocation marks the third round of distributions, following a pledge made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo last November to support more families in need of housing assistance.
During the exercise, Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal highlighted that this programme has seen an overall investment of over $31.5 million in vouchers to date. As such, 122 vouchers have been distributed to the residents since the programme commenced.
A total of 211 households are eligible to benefit from the initiative when the verification process is completed. In January, the first batch of vouchers, valued at $250,000 each, were distributed to 60 residents from Laing Avenue.
Another 30 residents received their vouchers in February.
In July 2023, Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo announced the $50 million house improvement programme for residents of Laing Avenue and Yarrow Dam. Minister Croal reiterated that the government’s housing programme caters to ensure persons from all sections of society have access to affordable housing solutions.
One of the beneficiaries, Andrew Christian welcomed the voucher and stated that much-needed repairs would be undertaken on his house.

“I feel fantastic. I have been waiting on this project for quite some time…I will be doing the roof, bedroom walls, and window frames. If possible, I will do some painting.”
Brenda Hopkinson, 72, another beneficiary expressed that she is now able to fix her door and zinc sheets, as her house is in a deplorable condition.
“When rain falls, the whole place does flood out. I am glad that my place is getting this help which will go a long way. I am grateful for that since I am an elderly person,” she related.