Housing Ministry to regularise 35 swamp lots in Belvedere North, Region 6

– 20 families set to receive land titles; relocation support promised for those under high-voltage power lines

Residents of Belvedere North, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), are now closer than ever to gaining legal ownership of the lands they have occupied for years, following a major announcement earlier today by Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal.
Speaking during a community engagement, Minister Croal confirmed that the Ministry has begun the process of regularising 35 swamp-classified lots located in the Old Housing Scheme section of Belvedere North – an area first developed in 1997 but left in limbo for decades.
For many of the families who settled there, today’s news marks the end of long-standing uncertainty.
“We will regularise the Belvedere area,” Minister Croal assured residents, prompting applause from the gathering.
The 35 swamp lots remained unallocated for years, even as 20 families gradually constructed homes, raised families, and built their lives in the community. After a recent survey, all 35 lots were confirmed as suitable for residential development and cleared for regularisation.
Extensive work by the Ministry’s Community Development Department has already set the foundation for the process. Inventories, block surveys, and occupation surveys have been completed. Surveyor Travis Fields is expected to deliver the final design by November 19, 2025, with boundary paals scheduled to be placed the following day to clearly demarcate each household’s lot.
“Once that’s completed, the final plan will be recorded,” Minister Croal explained. “I will return for the signing of the Agreements of Sale.”
While most residents will finally receive the security of formal land ownership, nine households face a different outcome. These families currently live directly beneath the 69 KVA GPL power line reserve – a high-voltage zone that cannot legally or safely be regularised.
Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has advised that dwelling under the power lines poses serious risks. Minister Croal reassured the affected households that they will not be displaced without support. Relocation options will be arranged to ensure they transition safely and securely.
Belvedere North is not the only community in the region benefitting from the Housing Ministry’s push to bring stability to long-settled areas. Port Mourant Block Six, a community with a history of uneven settlement dating back to early 2000s surveys, is also undergoing regularisation. Its final plan is expected to be completed by November 30, 2025.
For many Belvedere families – some of whom have lived on their lots for more than a decade – the announcement represents dignity, security, and peace of mind. Legal recognition of their homes means access to land titles, the ability to invest in their properties, and the comfort that their land is rightfully theirs.
Today’s decision marks a significant step in the Ministry’s wider mandate to bring order, fairness, and long-term development to communities across Guyana.