$700M approved to develop 4000 house lots

The coalition parliamentarians on Thursday cleared $700 million in supplementary funds for the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to develop some 4000 new house lots across the country.

This sum, which will be added to the $780 million already allocated to the CH&PA, will cater for land acquisition, surveys, designs, land clearing and accesses.
The areas to benefit from these additional monies includes Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini); Meter-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (ECD); Vigilance, ECD; Annandale, ECD; Mon Repos, ECD; Foulis, ECD; Hope/Experiment, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Ordnance Fort Lands, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice); Amelia’s Ward, Linden; Recht-door-Zee, West Bank Demerara; Prospect, East Bank Demerara and Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown.
Addressing the National Assembly’s Committee of Supply on the additional money, Housing Minister within the Communities Ministry, Annette Ferguson, explained that the supplementary provision will see the development of 275 new house lots in Mabaruma; 1100 house lots in Meter-Meer-Zorg; 1650 house lots in Vigilance; 385 house lots in Annandale; 220 house lots in Mon Repos; 83 house lots in Foulis; 825 new house lots in Hope/Experiment, and 138 house lots in Ordnance Fort Lands.
Additionally, Lethem will be getting 550 new house lots; Kwakwani 110 house lots; Ameila’s Ward 1100 new house lots, and Bur-Jag, Region 10 will get 138 new house lots, the Minister further disclosed.
Moreover, Ferguson added too that 275 new house lots will be developed in Recht-door-Zee, while Prospect Phase Two will get 182 new house lots; Providence Phase Five, EBD, will get 190 house lots and Cummings Lodge will have 370 new house lots developed.

According to the Housing Minister, once the money is available work will commence immediately in the areas of Recht-door-Zee, Prospect Phase Two, Providence Phase Five and Cummings Lodge to “bring housing solutions to the people in Guyana”.
In April, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan had said that the 4000 house lots are expected to be available for distribution within the next 18 months. He had noted that in order to make housing affordable for citizens, Government has pumped over $5 billion in consolidating infrastructure in housing schemes.
On the other hand, the Government has held several housing expos and establish various initiatives in its efforts to provide affordable.
In fact, the CH&PA has teamed up with some private developers including the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) to build 50 homes for low-income applicants at Prospect New Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara. The houses, measuring 400 square feet each, include the necessary amenities and a small patio which stands on a plot of land measuring 40 feet x 80 feet. The prices range from $4 million up to $9 million.
Meanwhile, under the Ministry of Communities another $794 billion in supplementary funds were approved by the Committee on Thursday under Sustainable Communities Development. These monies will be used to for works undertaken by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to improve the Hinterland, Coastal and Linden Water Supply. Other areas to benefit from the allocations include Urban Sewerage and Water, and the Solid Waste Disposal Programme.