CH&PA’s Onderneeming houses to be ready by April – engineer

The Central Housing and Planning Authority is currently constructing a total of 10 elevated two-bedroom houses at Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara, which are expected to be completed by April, according to the engineer.

Engineer Darron McKinnon said that there were four contractors executing works on the 10 houses. He noted that on account of the rain, the three-month contract had to be extended with the new completion date being April month-end.
He explained that the houses measured 30x20ft with approximately 670 square feet of livable space. McKinnon added that they were monitoring construction closely and testing all materials to ensure that they were up to standard.
The cost for one of the houses is $8 million – $7.5 million for the structure and $500,000 for the land.
Additionally, CH&PA Chief Executive Officer Lelon Saul said as part of the 2018 programme, the Housing Authority expected to allocate some 1000 service lots across the country namely at Linden, Cummings Lodge, and Perseverance.
“We have 10 of 19 houses under construction. It is from part of our 2018 target. In 2018, CH&PA will be delivering 247 house units across the country. In addition, 750 houses will be delivered via public-private partnership,” he noted.
While on a tour of the site, Director of Projects, Omar Narine noted that the La Parfaite Harmonie Housing Scheme is one of the largest housing schemes in the country with more than 8000 lots compassing six plantations of which Onderneeming is one.
“Right now, we are doing 10 units and a potential nine units to commence in the next two weeks. Those units will be two and three bedrooms, the flat version of this (elevated) option, but those options will be two and three bedrooms, 600-900 square foot,” he explained.
Some 758 housing units (530 duplexes and 228 townhouses) will be built under this Government to maximise land use and increase affordability, while building cohesive communities in 10 locations across six regions. The construction of the houses is part of the Government’s plan to make affordable housing available to every citizen, particularly Public Sector employees and youths.
In May, the CH&PA held its inaugural Housing Expo in its Model Village at Perseverance on the East Bank of Demerara. The Housing Authority is expected to construct an additional 40 duplexes at Perseverance with each apartment costing $7.1 million inclusive of the cost for the house lot.
CH&PA Director of Operations, Denise King-Tudor said that for persons to qualify for the houses, they must have an active application in the system and have an interview to be prequalified. Upon completion of that, they will be issued with a letter to take to their preferred financial institution for a loan prequalification, and would be placed on the waiting list.
“Once we are ready and you are selected, then you will be required to pay the initial deposit and the initial deposit is dependent on the amount that the applicant have been prequalified for by the banks,” she noted.