“We will push the barrier” – Housing Minister on clearing 50,000+ backlog in Reg 4

…as Govt on track to clear backlog in other regions in 2 years

With over 80,000 applicants for house lots within the system, the Government remains on track to clearing the backlog within all regions except for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) within the next two years. This assurance was given by Housing Minister Collin Croal during The Guyana Dialogue programme on Thursday evening, where he provided a regional breakdown of the pending applicants and the timeline in which they can be cleared.
For instance, he said Region One (Barima-Waini) has over 200 pending applicants, all of which should be cleared by the end of 2027. Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has over 2000 pending applicants, and half of these would be cleared this year, while the remainder will be allotted lands by the end of 2027. Over 10,000 applicants are in the system for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), and the Government is on track to clearing this backlog by the end of next year. Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) has 50,000-plus applicants, but there is no definitive timeline on how these will be cleared. Minister Croal noted that the Government is dealing with applications that were in the system from 2021 and prior, with a greater focus on developing housing schemes along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

“We will push the barrier to see how far we can go… we do have a massive programme on the highway…in addition to the current East Coast and East Bank programme. We have Silica City, we have the Homestead Houses at Yarrowkabra, we have Hauraruni, we have St Cuthbert, and we have Long Creek. So, we have a massive housing programme for the highway itself, not only because the highway population is growing…and we also have to have the shift because, as I said, on the coastland here, close to Georgetown, there’s only limited availability of land,” the Housing Minister noted.
Meanwhile, there are over 4000 applicants in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), over 7000 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), over 400 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), over 100 in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and over 800 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Essequibo) – all of which will be cleared within two years. In Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), there are over 3000 pending applicants, half of whom will be cleared this year, while the remainder will be allotted lands by the end of next year.

New lands, more costs
The Housing Minister explained that one of the biggest challenges is access to land, especially for Region Four, where the demand is high. Nonetheless, he said the Ministry continues to work with other agencies to acquire new land for housing development, noting that land must also be set aside for other key development priorities, including agriculture.
“For example, in Region Three, we have just purchased a portion of land at Wakenaam to develop a new housing scheme on that island; we’re currently engaging in Mahaicony in Region Five…we have pending applicants in the Mahaicony area, but MMA does not have lands available, so we’ve privately acquired,” he disclosed. In fact, for Region Four, the Minister explained that the Government will have to keep moving inward to access more land – a move which presents additional challenges, including increased costs.
“If we use the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), for example, like what you saw happen on the East Bank, you’re moving inward. So, you’re moving further to second and third phases, which, by the way, will eventually become a ‘front’ because we will have connecting roads that can make that area which is considered way down at the back as ‘back’; it can become a ‘front’ rather than persons having to use the main public road,” Minister Croal explained.
“We have to take into consideration the land use in terms of what can be used for housing because as you go inwards, the cost of construction becomes more expensive because as you go inwards, you are going inward to more swampland. So, the development of land for opening up new areas for infrastructure, the road network, the drainage, etc. that you have to do for every housing scheme is much costlier now,” he added. Croal estimated that previously, it cost about $3-$5 million to develop one house lot, but now, it averages around $7 million. Meanwhile, he noted that from 2020 to date, the Government has processed over 56,000 house lots.

40,000 homes
With regard to the Government’s manifesto promise to construct 40,000 houses over the next five years, Minister Croal noted that a number of contractors have already been engaged and areas have been identified for the development. It was previously reported that more than 200 companies – local, regional and international – have formally indicated their interest in constructing these houses across the country.
The Housing Minister had told this publication in November 2025 that the Government was hoping to build at least 8,000 houses per year over its five-year term, and with a lot of time lost already, the contractors would have to ramp up work once the contracts are awarded. While priority would be given to Guyanese contractors, the Government has widened its search to regional and international firms in light of the shortage of workers amid the ongoing construction boom.