$750M in contracts signed for construction of 100 homes in Region 6

…over 500 jobs to be created

The Housing Ministry is injecting $750,000 million to construct 100 new houses at Williamsburg, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), which will be ready for occupancy early next year. Thirteen contractors have been selected to construct the houses and within two weeks they will be given an order to commence working. The contractors will have three months to complete the houses. The houses will be flat concrete structures and consist of two bedrooms each. The project, according to Housing Minister Collin Croal, will see a minimum of 500 persons being employed. “In addition to employment there will be the transportation sector and other providers who will benefit from this. This little investment there is close to $¾ billion being injected because when you take into consideration the houses plus the infrastructure work we are talking to at least $750 million. This is the model that we will utilise across the country,” Minister Coral told the media during a visit to the project site on Saturday.

The thirteen contractors signed their contracts on Saturday at the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce head office at Rose Hall.
Croal explained that each contractor will have a limited number of houses to build thus ensuring that the project is completed in a timely manner and more persons are benefitting from Government’s spending as against giving the entire project to one contractor.
The houses are being categorised as low-moderate. Each house will cost $5.5 million and will be similar to those being constructed in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) for which persons are required to pay $7.5 million.
“You have to take into consideration the locality and the Region. What we are doing at Providence [East Bank Demerara] where those types of houses for the young professionals and they carry a higher price and those houses are also elevated. We also have to take into consideration the local demand and the ability of persons to be able to pay. From our assessment that is why we have more of the moderate houses that will be built here,” Croal explained.
Meanwhile Project Engineer Deron McKennon explained that the houses will have the same size and durability as those in Region Four but the cost has been cut since they are building the houses flat and are not including inner roofs.
Meanwhile, Croal said, in two weeks’ time electricity and water will be installed in the new scheme after which the contractors commence working. Currently roads are being constructed in the scheme.
“It is the same model that we are using for all of the construction of the houses. The cost for the construction is being done by everybody in the scheme at the same price and so, the benefices will either go through the bank or if they can pay cash. We are initially expending but we are recovering,” Croal added.
In Region Six there are 400 persons on record who have indicated that they prefer completed houses as against just being allocated a house lot. The distribution will be done on a first come first serve basis.
Meanwhile, the Minister said within another week similar contracts will be signed also in region Six for another 100 houses to be constructed at Fort Ordinance. (G4)