Dear Editor,
The news within the housing sector is getting better almost daily. This latest burst of house lots for Guyanese was held at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, and this phase fell within the Grove/Diamond Block-1 Housing Development and were allocated to moderate, middle, and high-income citizens. I was perusing that some “1,000 affordable wooden houses are to be constructed,” and the government will be constructing them utilising 100 per cent local wood, as part of its efforts to provide affordable homes to Guyanese. This was just before the Grove/Diamond Block-1 exercise. Now, just imagine what all of this home ownership translates to in a few years from now!
At the onset of its current five-year tenure, the promise was to provide 50,000 house lots by 2025. This year is likely to be a bumper one where this all-important sector is concerned, as the government has allocated $12.4 billion for further development herein. According to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, “… 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.” He added, that “Addition-ally, the allocation is intended for the construction of drains, structures and the installation of LED street lamps in the various housing settlements.” In other words, it is not just about putting up a house, but building the requisite infrastructure.
Secondly, under the ongoing construction of homes initiative, the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is constructing a total of 350 two-bedroom elevated homes in Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown; 100 two-bedroom flat units in Prospect, East Bank Demerara; 100 two- bedroom flat units in Williamsburg, Region Six; and 40 two-bedroom elevated units in Amelia’a Ward, Linden, Region 10. I remind that in 2021, a total of 10,063 house lots were allocated to Guyanese, while some 1,266 land titles and transports were distributed. This is in keeping with the government’s commitment to deliver 50,000 house lots to Guyanese by 2025. So, there is no way one can even begin to have any ‘hang-ups’ whatsoever, when it comes to the nation’s drive towards accelerating the housing programme, through the allocation of funds, lands and the construction of low, moderate and young professional homes for Guyanese.
Sincerely,
H. Singh