Application for home improvement subsidies, core houses begins Nov 1

Two thousand, two hundred and fifty (2250) families are set to benefit from the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme.
Senior officials of the CH&PA, including Minister within the Communities Ministry, with responsibility for housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson-Yearwood updated the media on details of the project at a press conference on Wednesday.
Deputy Director of Community Development at the Ministry, Donell Bess-Bascom said from November 1, application forms for the home improvement subsidies and core houses will be made available. The application period will run for three months from November 1, 2018, until February 1, 2019. “We have allocated a three-month application period which is adequate time for persons to be able to apply and have an opportunity to benefit,” Bess-Bascom explained.
Persons desirous of applying must reside within targeted areas of the programme. These include from as far as La Bonne Intention on the East Coast to Georgetown; Great Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara and Westminster, Rec-Door-Zee Phase I &II, Onderneeming and La Parfaite Harmonie Phase II on the West Bank of Demerara
Bess-Bascom also disclosed that several pick-up points have been established for a swifter distribution of application forms. “All the local democratic organs or local authorities within the project areas will be used as distribution centres for application forms.”
It was also highlighted that while there will be several points within the programme’s geographical area of coverage, the CH&PA will be the sole agency responsible for the submission of these forms after it would have been completed.
Eligible and successful applicants accessing the home improvement subsidies will benefit from as much as $500,000 in building materials. Upgrades could range from roof repairs, walls, floors, wet areas (bathroom and toilet), expansion to alleviate overcrowding, electrical works, plumbing and sanitation, rainwater harvesting and modifications for persons with disabilities.
Successful applicants of the home improvement subsidies will be required to take charge of full labour costs. These home improvement subsidies will target low-income earners and single parent-led homes. The CH&PA will be catering for 2000 subsidies.
For the core homes, 250 persons will benefit, and applicants must be a citizen of Guyana and 18 years of age or older and occupy land issued by the CH&PA.
Bess-Bascom also added that during the period of processing applications there will be extensive home visits for verification of information provided. Also, persons who would have benefited from previous subsidies (two or more subsidies) and core houses will not be considered for these two projects.
According to Minister Adams-Patterson-Yearwood, while the agency is expecting an influx of applications from persons wishing to benefit from these two projects, there will be a strict shortlisting process that is likely to take as much as eight months after the period of application closes.
“We anticipate that there will be lots of applications so when we are processing, we will have to prioritise… And, remember we are looking for the most vulnerable families,” the Minister said.