THE Housing Ministry is working relentlessly to process housing applications for Regions 3 and 4, as these are the only two regions where the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is bogged down.

At present, there are approximately active 33,000 applications in the system for these two regions, many of which would have been made in 2010 to 2012. In the other regions, especially 2 and 5, houselot applications are being processed in real time.
Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, explained that today, people are less patient than they were 10 years ago, as many who applied in 2011 believe that they have been in the system for a long time. A public notice has been issued informing those who have applied before 2006 and have received their acknowledgement letter before the said year, to visit the ministry and receive their allocations.
“As far as we are concerned, all applicants before 2006 should be completed. If you have applied before and you have refused the allocation, then that’s a different story,” Minister Ali explained.
It is impossible for the ministry to allocate houselots to everyone in the area of their choice. There is a high demand for lots on the East Coast of Demerara; however, there is not enough land available in this area to meet this high demand.
Minister Ali stated that his ministry is working on the last tranche of development on the coastline. In the next two years, all available opportunities to expand housing there would be exhausted.
In this regard, the ministry is looking at its next target area, which is the  Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
All of the lots are highly subsidised by the government and the lot that is allocated to an applicant is determined by the information stated in the application. In some instances, people compromise this process by providing misleading information with regard to their incomes.
“Your income plays an important role in determining which category you fall under. Many young people would complain, but they have to understand that the system is designed to benefit low-income earners,” Minister Ali indicated.
And so a person with a child, earning a salary of $60,000, below the age of 21, will stand to benefit more than another person without a child but working for a similar salary.
The ministry has witnessed an influx of applicants between the ages of 21-35 years. As such, it has established a number of partnerships with the services sector and professional groups to meet the needs of this target group in a more structured manner. This would not only see the allocation of houselots, but will also bring within reach, the dream of homeownership.