Some 170 residents of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) received their house lots on Wednesday as the Ministry of Housing and Water – Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) – held its final “Dream Realised” house lot allocation exercise for the year.
The exercise, held at the Blairmont Community Centre Ground, was the first in the region. Delivering the feature address, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal reaffirmed Government’s commitment to delivering 50,000 house lots within its first term in office.
The allocation of house lots to families of Region Five in Block A Balthyock will bring the CH&PA closer to reaching its target of delivering 10,000 house lots by the end of 2021.
“Block A Balthyock is ripe for development, and as the first 170 allottees, you will set the pace for others to follow… Like other regions, Region Five has a growing list of persons who want low-income housing and access to round-the-clock potable water among other social amenities. We are doing our level best to bring this to you within this five-year period,” Croal told the residents.
He added that part of the administration’s national housing programme is to build sustainable communities that are equipped with all the necessary infrastructure, including roads, bridges, drainage, electricity, water and recreational facilities.
To this end, since taking office in August last year, contracts to the tune of over $455 million were signed for major infrastructural works in Experiment. Close to $20 million is being spent to upgrade access roads at Balthyock, while similar works are being done in Block D, Bath at a cost of $18 million.
In 2022, the Minister announced, $462.6 million will be set aside for additional works in the area allocated on Wednesday. These include the construction of access and internal roads, the laying of pipelines, and drainage.
In addition, Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, said the Government’s national housing programme has not only improved the overall development of the country, but has touched the lives of thousands of ordinary Guyanese.
“The area being allocated today is an easy one for persons to receive their documents for their land, since it is already owned by CH&PA, and so persons can approach the banks for loans to begin the construction of their homes,” she told the residents.
Minister Rodrigues has assured residents that the backlog of housing applications within the region would be cleared by 2025.
Also in attendance were Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Andre Ally; Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves; Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal and Regional Executive Officer Genevieve Blackman.
Meanwhile, after nine years of waiting, Zaheeda Dawood, a mother of six, has finally received her house lot. She, her husband who is employed at the Blairmont Estate, and their children are currently living in a rented apartment.
Dawood expressed gratitude to the Government for finally receiving her house lot, which would allow her to build a comfortable and safe home for her family.
Another beneficiary, Lennox Crandon, also received his house lot after waiting nine years. The young firefighter commended the Government’s housing drive which targets young professionals.
“I feel overwhelmed. I know that I will make the best of it to provide for my family and make them comfortable,” he told the Department of Public Information (DPI).
