The Housing Sector has already expended $1.1B of its $3.1B, 2013 budgetary allocation to improve the living conditions of citizens by providing access to affordable housing, upgrading infrastructure in housing schemes and the regularisation of squatter settlements.
The recently released mid-year report stated that $649.6M was expended on infrastructural works which contributed significantly to the development of 2,254 new house lots. The Ministry distributed 636 house lots, processed 1,540 titles and constructed 48 turnkey houses for young professionals.
Two community development plans have been finalised for Tuschen, Region Three and Ordnance Fort Lands, Region Six.
Additionally, during the first half of the year, a one stop shop exercise was successfully held at Enmore, Region Four; while nine more are scheduled to be held in the remaining half of the year in areas such as: Providence, Farm, Prospect, Covent Garden, Onderneeming, Zeelugt, Lust-en-Rust, Zeeburg/De Willem, and Hope/Experiment.
Under the Low Income Housing Settlement (LIS) programme, $370.7M was disbursed and construction of 67 of 210 core houses targeted for this year have been completed. Construction of the remaining 59 is currently in progress.
With regards to home improvement subsidies, 52 of the targeted 200 subsidies have already been disbursed to eligible families in areas such as: Lusignan, Block D Bath, Eliza and Mary and Ankerville, benefitting more than 234 families.
Meanwhile, 34 subsidies were disbursed under the hinterland housing pilot, while another 36 homes have been selected for complete replacement, in areas such as Manawarin, Massara, Kwatamang, Annai, Whitewater, Oronoque and Katoka. A total of 490 people are slated to benefit.
Water
In this sector, $455.5M has been expended thus far from the budgeted $2.7B. This was directed towards increasing access to quality water supply.
A major component of this programme includes the reduction of non-revenue water losses by improvement of collection, metering of customers, reducing leakage in the network and increasing access to treated water.
Thus far in the year, works have commenced on service connections upgrades in Linden, in areas such as Kara Kara, Noitgedacht, Nottinghamshire, Amelia’s Ward, One Mile, Half Mile, Christianburg, Canvas City, West Watooka and Richmond Hill.
Meanwhile, works on wells at Cotton Tree and Hope are substantially completed; while the construction of wells, service connections upgrades, trestles and upgrading of water treatment plants in areas such as Better Hope-Mon Repos in Region Four and Port Mourant in Region Six will be completed by the end of the year.
As it relates to the hinterland, the Government remains committed to the provision of potable water supply to outlying communities. Water system upgrades will be done in areas such as Matthews Ridge, Paruima, Akawini, Bamboo Creek, Rupertee and Port Kaituma.
