The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) says it will be constructing homes to benefit some 2500 persons in the coming days, which will be built in specific areas as planned by the Authority, as a result of loans obtained from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
This was related at a sensitization program held on Thursday at the Regency Hotel on Hadfield Street, Georgetown.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CH&PA, Lelon Saul the homes will be constructed under $4 million, to persons who are mostly in need.
The areas which will benefit from these homes include West Minister, West Coast Demerara, Eccles, East Bank Demerara, Success, Farm and Agricola to Industry among others, as they are considered low income areas, according to the CEO.
“The program basically will target low income communities and these communities basically are the Sophia, Cummings Park area going along the East Bank…”
It was pointed out that persons will be eligible to have a home built if they earn $75,000 or less per month, be a citizen of Guyana, already own a transported land, and is vulnerable, in that they are exposed to the weather, are single parents or even live in areas prone to overtopping seawalls.
While the CH&PA has taken on the responsibility of providing materials and labour for construction, the beneficiary will be required to make an equity share contribution of $100,000 and pay small fees for costs related to obtaining a housing plan.
They will be required to make an application to the CH&PA, which will subsequently visit the person’s home to check to ensure that the applicant’s present home is inhabitable.
These homes will be built under the CH&PA’s Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Program.
Under this program, subsidies of as much as $500,000 will also be granted to persons using the same criteria to improve their homes. These improvement works will include upgrades to walls, roofs and other necessities.
Saul was keen to note, “Adequate housing should not be dealt with flippantly, rather it should be seen as a right to live somewhere in security, peace and dignity”.
While the home improvement component of the program will cost US $10M, another aspect which will see infrastructural work being done such as the installation of solar powered street lights, construction of walk ways and other projects will cost US $16M.
