The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) on Wednesday officially handed over management of six new housing schemes to the Bath-Woodley Park Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Region Five after investing over $730B there over five years.
At the handing over ceremony, Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali says this transition will see a strong partnership between the CH&PA and the NDC; noting that the former is not going to shy away from its responsibility and stands ready to provide necessary assistance for further development of the communities. A Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said the Hope, Hope Phase 1&2, Experiment Phase 1&2, Waterloo Phase 1&2, Block ‘D’ Bath, and Waterloo Block which boasts almost 2000 lots and an occupancy rate of 75 per cent will now fall under the NDC’s purview.
According to Ali, management of these areas will be challenging owing largely to the multi-use of land. “A lot of persons are integrally involved in the agriculture sector and as such it poses a lot of challenges to planners in ensuring that the rightful utilisation of land is adhered to…we have to balance how we continue to deliver to you a service that is efficient and reliable, whilst at the same time fulfilling all your expectations,” he said.
The minister also noted that the service provided by the Ministry of Local Government and the NDC is heavily subsidised because the rates and taxes paid in this and other NDCs cannot meet the actual expenditure needed to develop and maintain them.
While focus is being placed on developing new communities, there are several existing communities that need better infrastructure, which will be addressed through the Community Roads Improvement Project (CRIP). Over $187M has been invested, under CRIP, in the Bath-Woodley Park NDC alone. By May month end, 14 of 15 streets were completed and it was expected that the last street would have been completed by the end of the first week in June.
According to GINA, over the last five years, the ministry has invested over $730B in the housing sector alone in Region Five for the benefit of 11,830 people and a household investment of over $251,000 per household.
Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Ganga Persaud told the audience that the communities will now be rated. The NDC will embark on a programme of assessment, using existing rateable mechanisms to ascribe a rate to properties in the short-term.
