Ministry of Housing to build 133 core homes this year – Croal

– says steel and cement subsidy programme to continue through 2025

While the Ministry of Housing and Water is aiming to distribute 25,000 house lots this year, it also has an ambitious target of delivering more than 130 core homes this year, for persons who are desirous of the Government constructing homes on their behalf.
This target was provided by Minister of Housing and Water Colin Croal, while he was being questioned by opposition Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence, during the consideration of the budget estimates for his Ministry on Friday.
“The core home programme, which is under the adequate housing and urban accessibility programme – for this year we have 133 core homes to be constructed,” Minister Croal informed the National Assembly.
According to the Core Homes Support initiative, families will be given the opportunity to have a new 20ft by 20ft, two-bedroom concrete house built for them with only a nominal contribution of $100,000.

The programme is catered for under line item 1903900 ‘Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme’, in the budget estimates, which lists under the legend the “provision for quality housing and basic infrastructure solutions – IDB (Inter-American Development Bank).” Based on the estimates, a sum of $1.6 billion was allocated for this programme in 2025.
Minister Croal also acknowledged that there have been issues with some contractors, but noted that the defects liability period is implemented to ensure that any such issues can be fixed by the contractor within the shortest possible time.
“The Ministry has a project department. They have a team of staff that are assigned responsibility for the houses. And they all have defects liability periods. Before a house is handed over, an inspection is done by the bank. And the beneficiary,” he explained.
“We have had issues with some contractors. That’s factual. And I wouldn’t sit here to say we have not had challenges. And one of the major reasons has been because of our deliberate policy to ensure that the houses are not constructed at a profit-making basis. Because they’re kept to a minimum to allow affordability.”
Meanwhile, on the issue of Government subsidies such as the steel and cement initiative, Croal explained that the programme will continue throughout the year. He also noted that the Government is implementing home improvement subsidies in areas such as Laing Avenue, Georgetown.
Phase one of the programme targets 60 families who would receive $250,000 vouchers each, totalling $15 million, to go towards home repairs. The overall goal of the project is to ensure approximately 200 families benefit from it.
“Let me outline the various areas we have some subsidies. You have the Laing Avenue project. There’s also the Lethem Housing project, which those houses are being built to $3 million; $1 million is subsidised through the Government and $2 million by the beneficiary.”
“We have the steel and cement initiative. That was launched at GuyExpo in 2022. And the steel and cement programme continue and will continue. And so that is one aspect. And in terms of other areas, we have not identified other areas, but we’re targeting programmes across the board rather than specific areas,” Croal also said.
The initiative was first developed after meetings that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had with residents of Laing Avenue, with the cost of upgrading and repairing their homes one of the concerns raised.
Meanwhile, the Lethem Housing Support Programme is the brainchild of President Ali, targeting 600 low-income families with affordable housing solutions and, specifically, a $1 million subsidy each to offset construction costs, while the beneficiaries would put up the remaining $2 million through bank loans.
Last year December, 20 of these Lethem families were officially handed the keys to their new homes under the Lethem Housing Support Programme. The newly constructed houses, each measuring 550 square feet (ft²), feature two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen area, and washroom facilities.
The beneficiaries were presented with their keys during a simple ceremony held at their respective homes in Culver City and the new ‘Tract CHPA’ (Poke Bridge) Housing Scheme.