To further its target of providing 50,000 house lots by 2025, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government has allocated $12.4 billion for the further development of the sector, according to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh.
During Wednesday’s 2022 budget presentation, he said that the allocation would continue infrastructure works in housing areas and includes upgrading of 45.5 km of roads in 31 existing housing schemes in all of the regions except 7 and 8. Additionally, the allocation is intended for the construction of drains, structures and the installation of LED street lamps in the various housing settlements.
“Additionally, Government aims to complete the construction of the electricity distribution networks in the existing housing areas, and also to complete the procurement of electrical hardware for new housing areas,” he said.
In relation to the government’s campaign promise of 50,000 house lots by 2025, Singh reported that the administration is well on its way to achieving that target through its ‘Dreams Realised” housing initiative. Since taking office in August of 2020, according to Singh, the government has been able to allocate 10,063 house lots and in 2021 the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) distributed 1,266 land titles and transports.
The housing entity is aiming to distribute 6,000 land titles and transports for this year.
“The PPP/C government gave its commitment to provide affordable housing to the People of Guyana. We are duty-bound to meet that promise and we will deliver on that promise. To meet this obligation, we are working on several tracks. On the one hand, we have been making serviced house lots available for allocation, targeting young professionals, individuals with immediate needs, persons who have disposable income to commence construction, and plots for private housing developers.
“At the same time, we have been developing affordable housing stock for first-time middle and low-income homeowners. These include one and two-bedroom flat and elevated properties in numerous housing schemes nationwide. In addition, we have negotiated successfully with our commercial banks to reduce the mortgage interest rates to the lowest level ever seen in the history of the country and we have also taken bold steps to keep building material costs as low as possible,” he iterated.
2021 saw 50 low-income homes being constructed at Prospect on the East Bank of Demerara and the government now has plans to double that number at La Parfaite Harmonie and Sophia Housing Areas. In addition, 125 core homes would be constructed in areas yet to be identified.
The National Assembly heard that 228 home improvement subsidies were distributed in 2021 to the value of $114 million with the expectation of 1,000 more subsidies in 2022. For moderate-income earners, 133 homes were constructed at Cummings Lodge, Onder-neeming and Amelia’s Ward, as well as 100 houses for young professionals at Providence.
“Mr Speaker, an amount of $18.7 billion was expended in 2021 to continue the consolidation works in 11 existing CHPA housing areas including Great Diamond, Prospect and Cummings Lodge. These have substantially progressed,” Singh inform-ed.
In its 2021 budget, the government promised to allocate 10,000 house lots as well as distribute 7,000 land titles across the country. Additionally, $6 billion was budgeted for the sector to advance infrastructure work along with $1.5 billion to continue works in Sophia, Diamond and Parfaite Harmonie housing areas.
