Social Housing Programme: Govt invites contractors to build 400-sq-ft 1-bedroom homes

…extremely vulnerable households to get priority

The Housing Ministry, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), on Monday issued an invitation for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the construction of 400-square-foot houses under the Social Housing Programme announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali to support vulnerable groups across Guyana.
Under this programme, the Government intends to support the construction and delivery of adequate, safe and affordable housing units to extremely vulnerable and economically disadvantaged households that may otherwise be unable to access housing through conventional means.
The houses are intended to be flat, one-bedroom units equipped with a toilet and bath, ceiling, tiles, and a basic kitchen cupboard, among other necessities.
Among other things, eligible contractors must present a list of available equipment, a statement on proposed financing, evidence of financial capacity, construction drawings showing site layout plans, work programmes, and a list of qualified and experienced personnel.
Applying contractors will also be required to submit statements indicating the type of construction materials, construction methodology and construction techniques, and in cases where foreign materials, methodology and techniques are an option, then all associated specifications must be submitted.
The EOIs must be submitted before 15:00h on September 21.
In July, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the Government will be embarking on the Social Housing Programme, targeting 5000 beneficiaries.
“Single mothers – and not only single mothers, but single mothers who are facing specific economic challenges; people living with disabilities; the elderly, and we’re going to have a social housing programme to support [them towards] homeownership,” the Head of State had said.
The President had noted that there will be strict criteria to determine eligible persons to benefit from this programme.
Criteria to ID vulnerability
Meanwhile, expanding on the initiative during an interview with this publication on Monday, Housing Minister Collin Croal explained that authorities are in the process of developing the criteria to identify extreme cases of vulnerability in order to select beneficiaries.
He added that regional committees will be established to help identify such cases, while others will be drawn from persons who applied for housing support under the Men on Mission (MOM) initiative. Additionally, systems will be put in place for persons to apply.
Croal stressed that each applicant will be thoroughly investigated to ensure they fall in the category of “extremely vulnerable” to benefit from the social housing programme.
Moreover, the Minister noted that while contractors are encouraged to submit EOIs, the invitation presents an opportunity for companies specialising in prefab/modular homes since those guarantee expediency.
The locations for the construction of these houses will vary based on each beneficiary, he added.
While he could not say exactly how many houses will be developed in the first phase of the initiative, he said the total target of 5000 homes forms part of the Government’s commitment to deliver 40,000 houses by the end of its second term in office.
Already, the Guyana Government has been building out several low-income turnkey houses across the country for Guyanese on the lower end of the earning bracket. Additionally, the Government has also embarked on a $6 billion Homestead Project, which will see 500 homes constructed at Yarrowkabra on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway paired with shade houses.
Officially launched back in January, the Hyde Park Project is designed for single mothers, allowing them to grow crops for both household use and earning.
This is one of the many initiatives that the Ali-led Administration has rolled out since 2020 to not just support vulnerable families but also encourage homeownership among Guyanese.