The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has started its clampdown on delinquent housing developers, who acquired lands but did not fulfil agreements to develop such land into house lots.
CH&PA CEO Lelon Saul
In an interview with Guyana Times, CH&PA Chief Executive Officer Lelon Saul cited housing developer Cumberland Development Incorporated. It has been reported that this company was allocated lands between Eccles and Mocha, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
“We are repossessing land already and we are in the final process of concluding the repossession, based on the court orders. One that comes to mind is Cumberland at Providence.
“But we are to meet with the developer so that we can compensate him for work he would have already done,” Saul promised. “In court, we have some other cases that we have been working on.”
Delinquent
But while the CH&PA has to contend with delinquent housing developers, there is also the issue of delinquent homeowners. These are persons who acquire house lots but then do nothing with them, leaving the unoccupied land for weeds, the homeless and even criminal elements.
This comes even as the CH&PA has made it clear it has no house lots to give out in certain areas. At a recent press conference, the Authority repeated this announcement. When asked, Saul also elaborated on the Authority’s position when it came to homeowners in breach of their agreement to start building their houses.“One has to take into consideration whether the person is in a position to build. Yes, we do have problems, but we’re working with people to encourage them to build. Yes, there are challenges: affordability of mortgage is a problem for the low-income family.
“We don’t want to deprive anyone of their property,” Saul said, also noting that the CH&PA considered these matters on a case-by-case basis.
Earlier this year, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan had revealed that of approximately 66,000 house lots allocated between 2000 and 2015, some 28,000 or 40 per cent remained unoccupied by recipients.
The Minister had reported that during 2011 and 2015, some 38 new schemes were developed comprising a total of 20,000 house lots, but to date 80 per cent of those lots remained unoccupied. A total of $12.8 billion was pumped into their development and $16 billion was now required to complete infrastructural works.
Additionally, from a total of 4927 interviews conducted in 2017, the CH&PA only issued 1131 house lots, with Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) accounting for the majority — 3122 interviews and 513 allocations.
In Region One (Barima-Waini), 52 lots were allocated; Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 28 lots were allocated; Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 27 lots were allocated; Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 513 lots were allocated; Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 20 lots were allocated; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 99 lots were allocated; Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), 132 lots were allocated; and in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), 201 lots were allocated.
