The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) took its house lot allocation and title distribution exercise to Shieldstown, Blairmont, Region Five on Friday.
The CH&PA said on its Facebook page that around 550 persons were allocated low-income and moderate-income house lots within the Shieldstown Housing Scheme. The lands cost between $200,000 to $500,000 each.
The event was held at the Shieldstown Cricket Ground, Region Five.
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Demi Ameer, a young professional of Rosignol Village was overjoyed to finally receive her land.
Ameer told DPI that she is currently living in an overseas-based relative’s home, and owning her own home has always been one of her goals.
“It feels really great to finally own a land that I can afford…I want thank the government for the opportunity to own a piece of land,” she said.
Quinland Morian of Number Three Village said he felt proud to finally own land for the first time. He told DPI that it is a great experience and hopes that other young people make use of the opportunity the government is offering to attain homeownership.
“It is good for me and my family to own land so we can build a house. I feel proud of myself. What the government is doing is good,” Morian said.
During opening remarks, Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal said that the allocation in the region will further reduce the backlog of just about 4,000 applications within the CH&PA database.
He said that in just 11 months, at least 1,100 house lots have been allocated to residents of the Mahaica-Berbice, with millions of dollars spent to develop the new and existing housing schemes
By the end of 2023, Croal noted that at least $4 million will be invested in infrastructure works in areas including Shieldstown and a new area identified in Burma. Among the works to be done will be the construction of roads, drainage, culverts, and electricity and water connection.
“Very shortly as part of our macro plan, within the next few months, that will see at least 1,200 roads being done to concrete, an asphaltic concrete level. In this region, in various communities, we will see within the next three to four months 138 roads being done,” he told the gathering.
