CH&PA extends application deadline for core homes, home improvement subsidy

The Housing and Water Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) has extended the deadline for applications under its Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP) thus allowing for more deserving Guyanese families, especially from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) to benefit.
This was announced by Housing Minister Collin Croal on Thursday. He disclosed that the closing date for the submission of applications is now February 25.
The initial deadline for applications was set for February 7, however, the executing agency with the consent from the funding agency – the Inter-American Development Bank – has agreed to the extension.
Under the Core Home Support initiative, some 150 low-income families will receive a new 20×20 feet move-in ready two-bedroom concrete house, which is equipped with basic utilities such as water and electricity and can be expanded over time.
The home is built through the Ministry and beneficiaries are only required to make a contribution of $100,000. All applicants are required to possess ownership of the land, and it must be a land issued by the Ministry.
Meanwhile, under the Home Improvement Subsidy initiative, low-income families who are living in poor structures can benefit from $500,000 worth in building materials to carry out repairs or expansion to an existing property. This is not a loan and no repayment is necessary.
Some 2000 Home Improvement Subsidies have been earmarked under the programme, with 236 persons already approved.
According to Minister Croal, the extension was done as a result of low response especially at targeted communities on the East Coast of Demerara.
“To date, we have been receiving positive response from the communities but the majority has been from the West Bank of Demerara, so we want to give persons along the East Coast of Demerara who fall within the project boundary an opportunity to apply,” the Housing Minister stated.
Nevertheless, interested persons on the West Coast of Demerara are also being encouraged to apply for either programme.

The target area encompasses Westminster, Onderneeming, Recht-Door-Zee, Lust en Rust, and Parfaite Harmonie Phase II on the West Bank of Demerara, Region Three.
In Region Four, it includes communities from Georgetown to Grove on the East Bank of Demerara; and from Georgetown to La Bonne Intention on the East Coast of Demerara. Additionally, these 19 other communities are also being targeted: Bladen Hall South Squatting Area, Block 7 Pln Mon Repos (D’Jango Town), Elizabeth Hall known as Pln Enterprise, Lusignan Block XXI, Lusignan Parcel 99 (Binkey Ally), Lusignan Tract A (Lusignan Pasture), Strathspey South 14B, Vigilance/Bladen Hall, Vigilance 14A/14B, Area B Lusignan (Grassfield), Enmore – (Haslington Block 20), Good Hope Area X, Good Hope Tract A (Phase 1), Haslington Block 18, Hope Area A, Mon Repos Block 8, Non Pareil Block 12, Non Pareil Section B and Vigilance Area X.
Meanwhile, in a move to raise awareness and invite applications, the Ministry through its Community Development Department will be hosting a series of community outreaches over the coming days to the targeted communities.
The first outreach will be held this Saturday at the Mon Repos Market Tarmac, Lusignan Market Tarmac and Good Hope Secondary School, ECD.
Interested persons can apply for the programme online at www.chpa.gov.gy.
Application forms are also available free of cost at the CHPA Headquarters, 41 Brickdam and United Nations Place, Stabroek, Georgetown; sub-office 237 Camp Street, Georgetown (next to St Margaret’s Primary School); Regional Housing Offices at Vreed-en-Hoop, Region Three and all local authorities within the project boundaries. All applications, along with the relevant documents, can only be returned to the sub-office at 237 Camp Street, Georgetown.