Region 10 residents benefit from Home Improvement Subsidy

― 259 residents benefit country-wide

Just in time for the holidays, 31 residents from communities in Region 10  (Upper Demerara/Berbice) were on Friday the recipients of the $50,000 Jubilee Year Home Improvement Subsidy, an initiative of the Ministry of Communities, Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA). Twenty-nine of the successful applicants are from Linden while two hail from Ituni, Berbice River. Region 10 was the final Region to benefit from the country-wide project, with the exception of Region 8.

The initiative targeted allottees in housing schemes and regularised squatter settlements developed by the CHPA. Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Adams-Patterson, while speaking at the distribution in Linden Friday, noted that the ministry has wrapped up the initiative in the other Regions.
She disclosed however that four persons who had applied from Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni) did not qualify to benefit from the initiative since there are no housing schemes developed by CHPA in that area.
Patterson noted too that Region 3 (Essequibo-Islands West Demerara) outshone the other regions with 109 residents benefitting. The project, Minister Adams-Patterson said, is part of the Government’s aim in fulfilling a good life for all Guyanese.
She added that the CHPA had made a decision to commit $15 million to the initiative and had initially anticipated handing over 300 subsidies, however due to poor response only 259 vouchers were given.
During her address to recipients at the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), Adams-Patterson further said Government is cognizant of the fact that there is a link between poor living conditions and other social ills. She noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) in an article titled “Housing and Health”, made calls for the development of healthy housing as a means of combating diseases and injuries. The Minister explained that with thousands of Guyanese living in substandard conditions, the need for decent, adequate and affordable shelter has never been more urgent. She added that Government is tasked with the responsibility of providing healthier homes:  “It was established that there’s a direct link between the quality of housing and the quality of health and it also points to the fact that children who live in neglected homes – and this is statistically proven – that they suffer more illnesses, they have more hospital admissions, they do more poorly at school…Statistics show that children who live in poor housing conditions are often exposed to domestic violence…due to the stress that is related to their poor living conditions.”
As such, she declared the Government aims to give every eligible Guyanese adequate and affordable housing in the form of a house lot or a home. In this regard, she said Government has embarked on the process of building cohesive communities. Adams-Patterson disclosed that the project was carefully worked out so funds will be used for its intended use:
“It is to bring improvement to your home…and let me say that this is just the beginning “, she told recipients, while adding, “The vision of our President is not just to give a house lot…”
Minister Patterson said Government is currently working on new initiatives with the aim of refocusing on housing and continues to maintain meaningful partnerships with various organisations. This she said aims at making housing solutions a possibility, in an effort for families to escape the scourge of substandard living.
Meanwhile, CHPA senior Community Development Officer Donna Bess-Bascom said the subsidies are not being disbursed in the form of cash, but rather vouchers to secure hardware items to effect home improvement works. The vouchers are redeemable at three selected suppliers within the Region.
Bess-Bascom outlined that eligibility for the programme was based on income, as the initiative sought to target low income families.
She said low income families were also required to complete 100 per cent of payment for their houselots while the requirement for those in CHPA regularised squatter settlements is 50 per cent.  Persons who benefitted were also required to be living on the said house lots, in addition to their commitment to provide the necessary labour required.
Bess-Bascom highlighted that of the 732 applications distributed nationally, 494 were returned to CHPA. Of those returned, 259 were deemed eligible.
In Region 10, 43 of the 65 applications were returned, with only 31 reaching eligibility requirements.
The vouchers handed over to the recipients are valid from December 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017. Bess-Bascom advised that the vouchers cannot be exchanged in return for cash.
A beneficiary, Dewana Emanuel expressed gratitude to the ministry for the provision of the subsidy.