Great Diamond, Sophia families receive keys to core homes

As the Housing and Water Ministry continues to ease the process of homeownership for all Guyanese, four low-income families on Tuesday were given access to their new two-bedroom core homes in Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and Sophia, Georgetown.
Falling under the Inter-American Development Bank (IBD)-funded Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), this core home initiative aims to improve the quality of life of Guyanese in urban and peri-urban communities through better access to adequate housing and basic infrastructure and improved accessibility and mobility services.
The recent four beneficiaries were Paul Cottam of 2453 Section C, Block X, Great Diamond; Sonia Thomas of 1063 Section B, Block X, Great Diamond; Dawn Waithe of 984 Pattensen, Turkeyen (Sophia); and Joy Castillo of 3067, Section D, South Turkeyen (Sophia).

Ranging from $4.5 to $4.9 million, their newly constructed homes are outfitted with two bedrooms, a kitchen and washroom facilities.
Construction was supervised by engineers from the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) Projects Department to ensure they meet the specifications outlined by the IDB.
For the recipients and their families, these new homes mark a significant improvement from their previous living conditions, which in some cases, included living in dilapidated structures or cramped quarters with other family members.
Thomas remarked that the home provides great relief for her children, as they can now enjoy comfort and security.
Cottam, who has been visually impaired for 22 years and has four children, echoed these sentiments and said that he is happy to finally have his own home. The four families were also presented with their electrical certificates, which are valid for the next 10 years.
The AHUAP requires beneficiaries to only make a $100,000 contribution towards the construction of their homes, with a stipulation that they must be the owners of the lands on which the houses were constructed.
This programme started in December 2017 and will run until June 2024. As of this past June, there were reportedly 80 beneficiaries selected from Sophia, of which 35 core homes were built, 21 core homes were handed over to beneficiaries, 14 were already being occupied and another 14 were still under construction.
Meanwhile, 31 homes were at the procurement stage.
In addition to these recent four beneficiaries, last month, four other residents received access to their homes in Good Hope and Lusignan, ECD.
The AHUAP previously covered communities from Georgetown to Grove, EBD, up to La Bonne Intention on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) and Westminster, Onderneeming, Recht-Door-Zee, Lust en Rust, and Parfaite Harmonie Phase II on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).
In 2021, it expanded to include 19 ECD communities, extending the boundary to Victoria.