Dear Editor,
The unprecedented is ongoing in Guyana, and hopefully, we will not take it for granted. What am I referring to? I am talking about the housing drive that continues to be robust and all-encompassing. I hope we all know that it’s harder now than ever to get a foot on even the first rung of the property ladder, not just with the cost of the property itself, but also additional expenses such as bills and home & contents insurance, as these form a big part of the housing package.
I relish yet again reading that “The People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government has expended some $62 billion over the past four years to develop housing schemes along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). This continues the broader strategy to tackle the nation’s housing crisis.” And talking about this ‘crisis,’ it is horrifying to learn that on average, a house in Canada costs $617,000 and the average US home price is $445,000. We are talking here, in Guyana dollars, around 100 million. Conversely, in Guyana, after all is said and done, a very comfortable house and land, at the middle range, hovers around 25 to 30 million Guyana Dollars. Please note that I am referring to the US and Canada, as these two countries are hosts to a large number of Guyanese immigrants, who can verify what I am saying.
Let’s keep in mind too that housing is the basis of stability and security for an individual or family. The centre of our social, emotional and sometimes economic lives, a home is really a sanctuary, a place to live in peace, security and dignity. So, what the government is doing is instilling dignity and pride in the populace.
Editor, I followed closely that some 500 persons received land titles at the “50th ‘Dream Realised” exercise that was recently held. This translates to $62B being expended on the East Coast od Demerara (ECD) housing development project, ongoing now for four years. Greater details from the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, shows that “… the sum of $32 billion was spent this year alone to provide affordable, safe, and supportive housing to families.” This investment allowed for infrastructure work on the East Coast of Demerara in areas such as Good Hope, LBI, Lusignan, Non Pareil, and Enterprise. In terms of authenticating this, the minister provided the statistics from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), showing that under the current government, 74 new housing schemes have been developed. Imagine that thus far, “Over 15,000 house lots were allocated on the East Coast and the Ministry is in the process of constructing 1,000 homes.”
Concurring with me on the ramifications of ‘home ownership,’ Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, elaborated passionately about “… the profound impact of land allocation on families, highlighting the long-term potential for generational wealth.” She portends that “… the initiative is part of government’s larger housing plans, which include the construction of thousands of new homes across the country, particularly in underserved regions.” We therefore have solid reason to expect more. I iterate a thousand times that housing a nation paves the way for “… multiplying for years to come … for generations and decades to come.” This was spelled out when Minister Rodrigues intoned that “You will forever change the trajectory of your family by creating intergenerational wealth … as the government’s vision for every Guyanese is not just a dream, but an action-driven goal that includes building new infrastructure, ensuring clean water access, and partnering with financial institutions to make homeownership more accessible.”
I now invoke the all-important document that codified the right to adequate housing, that is, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. Article 25 (1) states: “”Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” The Declaration was signed by all 192 member states of the United Nations, (and) although it is not a binding treaty, Guyana is quite in the forefront of making it a reality.
Sincerely,
Hargesh B. Singh
