On Saturday, 20 Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) families received the keys to their new homes from the Ministry of Housing and Water.
The homes, which are among the first batch to be constructed under the ministry’s Hinterland Housing Programme in the region, were handed over by Housing Minister Collin Croal. According to a notice posted on the ministry’s Facebook page, each flat house measures 20 x 25 feet and was constructed in the villages of Yakarinta and Nappi at a total cost of approximately $60 million.
It added that ten homes were built in Yakarinta and ten in Nappi, “utilising materials and labour sourced from the area. The homes are constructed at no cost to the beneficiaries. The ministry collaborated with the Village Council to select the [beneficiary] families,” the statement said.
During his presentation of the homes, the release said Croal highlighted the importance of collaborating with the Village Council to identify the families in need of housing support. He also pointed out that a total of 120 homes are currently under construction in Region Nine as part of the programme.
Homes are being built in villages “such as Crashwater, Tiger Pond, Yurong Paru, Rupunau, Shea… Additionally, Region Nine benefits from the Lethem Housing Support Programme, where the ministry contributes $1 million towards construction, while commercial banks offer loans of $2 million to landowners. Overall, the minister revealed that Region Nine currently has ongoing contracts worth $700 million for home construction in Lethem and various villages,” the post said.
According to the Facebook post, Grace Melville, one of the new homeowners, expressed her gratitude for the new home, stating that it will greatly improve her family’s living situation. It said another recipient from the distribution, Fitzroy Benjamin, shared his happiness at being able to benefit from the government project, especially after losing his previous home in a fire. Benjamin, a father of three from Yakarinta, also noted that since he did not have a stable job to construct a new home, he was happy to benefit from the government project.
The Hinterland Housing Programme will see the construction of a total of 400 homes across Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine. This initiative not only provides much-needed housing support to vulnerable families but also contributes to the overall development of rural communities in Guyana, the post said.
Accompanying the minister were the Regional Chairman Brian Allicock, Hinterland Services Director at Guyana Water Incorporated Ramchand Jailal, and technical staff.
