“Don’t join the bandwagon; pay up and build” – Housing Minister tells new land owners

Minister within the Communities Ministry with responsibility for housing, Valerie Adams Patterson-Yearwood has advised residents of Region Three (Essequibo Island- West Demerara) to work towards paying off their lands and begin building as soon as they receive their titles.
The Minister was delivering remarks to residents moments before she distributed close to 100 house lots to families in the region at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office on Thursday.
The Communities Ministry has made available house lots in the Tuschen Phase two and Block 8 areas for applicants.
“I encourage you not to join the bandwagon. You are here, and I believe the reason why you are here is that you need a house lot. And because you need a house lot I am going to give you a house lot,” the Minister is quoted as saying by the Department of Public Information.
She said persons must aid in the process by utilising the house lots as too often persons who are allocated house lots leave the land to become overgrown with bushes. The Minister said there are countless persons who would give anything to have those very plots of land. The lots distributed cost $92,000 for low-income earners and $500,000 for middle-income.
Gopaul Sanasie said he had applied for his house lot 10 years ago. While he was allocated a plot of land at Stewartville and paid for it, he was never shown the land. “I was waiting for this for 10 years now since I applied. And with the Minister being here, I guess this is the fastest thing that could have ever happened,” he said.
Amidst tears, Raymond Khan and his wife Nalinie Etwaroo said they had applied for a house lot since 1989; however, they were never fortunate to be allocated a land.
“We squat and build a little house and live in it on the dam. We are happy for the Government to give us our land, we are really thankful,” the couple said.