Govt to establish new Bartica Housing Scheme to meet growing demand

The government is moving to establish another housing development in Bartica as demand for house lots continues to outpace supply, despite more than 500 allocations already being made across four major housing areas in the mining town.

Minister of Housing Collin Croal said the government is already engaging the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) to secure additional lands as authorities work to address the growing backlog of housing applicants in Region Seven.

“These new developments will not satisfy all the backlog…the work continues,” he stated during a visit to ongoing housing works in the community of Tract BAR.

The minister explained that while there are currently over 500 applicants in the housing system for Bartica, the government has already allocated more than 500 lots over the last few years through developments at Block CHPA Development, Block CHPA Extension, Bartica South and the newly developing Tract BAR.

According to the minister, the combined investment across the four housing developments now exceeds $2.1 billion.

At Tract BAR alone, the government is investing more than $1.1 billion in infrastructure works, including road access, drainage systems, land clearing and utilities to prepare hundreds of house lots for occupancy.

The area is currently about 38 per cent complete, with works advancing after several setbacks, including redesigns to accommodate nearby airstrip access and issues related to squatting.

Minister Croal noted that by the end of July or August, persons allocated lots at Tract BAR should be able to access their lands.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries within the Block CHPA Extension are already preparing to move into newly completed homes, while lands at Bartica South are expected to be pegged and made accessible before month-end.

The minister also highlighted major supporting investments in water and electricity infrastructure, including the installation of a treatment plant to serve residents in the expanding Four Miles and Five Miles communities.

He underscored that the government’s housing programme is transforming lives by allowing families to own homes instead of remaining renters.

“We are a government of action…We are a government that gets things done,” Minister Croal stated. [DPI]