… additional homes being constructed, infrastructural works ongoing
By Lakhram Bhagirat
The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) on Tuesday handed over the keys to the owners of the homes in its Model Village at Perseverance Housing Scheme, Providence, East Bank Demerara. The model houses were constructed for the CH&PA’s Housing Solutions Housing Expo in May.
Minister within the Communities Ministry, Valerie Patterson, handed over the keys on site to the new owners and urged them to preserve it, while noting that their homes would be the center of attraction for a long time.
Minister Valarie Patterson handing over the key to Winston Persaud
The homeowners, Deborrah Wilson and Winston Persaud, expressed their satisfaction with the units and noted that they are in the process of making minor modifications and installation of electricity before they move in.
The residents of the Model Village cannot make any exterior changes to the homes until after five years. The residents were also called upon to work with the Community Development Department at the CH&PA to form a home owners association within the Perseverance Housing Scheme.
Forty-six-year-old Wilson said she had been waiting 24 years to own her own land and home, and was elated to be afforded the opportunity to be a resident in the Model Village. Both Wilson and Persaud paid $6.8 million for their homes.
Keys were also given to Gary Rowe and his family, who will occupy the $7 million single elevated home.
Minister Valarie Patterson handing over the key to Deborrah Wilson
Minister Patterson said they are currently doing road works within the scheme and added that they are also in the process of constructing 20 three-bedroom houses in the area.
“We are going to build 40 flat concrete duplexes right here at Perseverance. It is going to be like three feet off the ground, land clearing is already in progress and that total construction cost will be like $540 million. This project of the 40 duplexes we are very hopeful that it would conclude by the end of December this year. Each apartment would be a total of $7.1 million – $6.8 million for the apartment and $300,000 being cost of land,” Minister Patterson said.
She urges interested person to visit the CH&PA Brickdam Office next Tuesday and Wednesday, where they would be able to prequalify for the 40 duplexes so they could be able to source financing. She added that they are also in talks with the financial institutions to be more lenient with persons applying for loans to build or purchase homes.
Some 758 units of 530 duplexes and 228 town houses will be built under this Government, to maximise land use and increase affordability, while building cohesive communities in 10 locations across six regions.
Additionally, the Chief Executive Officer of the CH&PA along with a team is currently in China where they are testing conductors for the electrification programme at Farm, Eccles, Peters Hall and Barnwell on the East Bank of Demerara. The CH&PA said they are aggressively pursuing the programme and have already begun the infrastructure and preparatory works.
“Already the poles are on the ground and the CEO and other technical staff are in China and they are doing the testing of the conductors and immediately after that is approved they will be shipped to Guyana. We already have the transformers and cable on their way to Guyana (from Colombia). We don’t want to have defective equipment coming here,” the Minister, informed.
