PPP/C on track in making housing a reality in Guyana

Dear Editor,
The dailies report that “Since taking office in 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has distributed more than 23,500 house lots to date, and is working aggressively to meet the target of 50,000 by the end of its 5-year tenure in 2025.”
To this I say, “Congrats!”, and even if the 50,000 target is not attained, there can be no justifiable condemnation.
And why? For one, housing people across the world is not just monumental; it is extremely difficult with what currently obtains in the world. As we all know, people consider the high cost of a mortgage as the biggest obstacle to buying a property today. Latest research from the Building Societies Association (BSA) has shown that well over 71%; that is, seven out of 10 people, cited affordability when asked for their top three barriers to home buying.
I read that, in Germany, soaring interest rates are pushing up the cost of credit, demand is plummeting, and the price of materials is skyrocketing. Business bankruptcies in the German construction sector have doubled in the space of a year, bringing many projects to a halt. I think these two cases highlight how truly remarkable Guyana’s housing success is.
Focusing now on the 150 Region 10 healthcare workers who are set to get ‘young professional’ homes, President Irfaan Ali noted that the PPP/C’s overall plan is unfolding in a well-organised manner.
He explained, “We’re now developing Plantation York. I have asked that, before the end of this year, those 150-plus who have applied, we must have them prequalified and have the bank approve their loans. So, by the first quarter next year, they can move into their ‘young professional’ homes.”
It gets better as the President, in a promissory mode, stated, “…pending applications for doctors, nurses, and medical technicians (that) will soon be processed, a total of 1000 homes are in the construction phase at Plantation York, accelerating Government’s housing initiative.”
Editor, for me, this is a big issue in Guyana, where “young people have the best opportunity for a brighter future.” I fully agree with this utterance from the Head of State, who added that we should not be ‘sidetracked’. Oh yes, we will have some incipient setbacks, but if we are in for the long haul, then things will better balance out. After all, owning a home is beneficial personally and collectively.
I think of the “Pride of Ownership.” Indeed, the benefits of owning a home aren’t all dollars and cents, and if this list were ranked in order of importance, the pride that accompanies owning a home would surely be at the top. Owning a home is an accomplishment and an investment in the future that provides both security and stability. In fact, home ownership boosts the educational performance of children, induces higher participation in civic and volunteering activity, improves health care outcomes, lowers crime rates, and lessens welfare dependency. Owning a home is completely different from renting or squatting. Cometh the homes, cometh a better country.
Where York is concerned, the word is that “…there will be a residential area, as well as commercial and industrial zones. The housing development is holistic and incorporates the building of roads, bridges, drainage, and culverts as well as utilities.”
Guyana is truly changing at every level.
Yours truly,
HB Singh