IT is an ambitious plan to provide housing for all Guyanese, especially low- income earners and youths. But Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and Minister Valerie Patterson are confident that they could sustain a new drive to house our citizens when they launched “Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond” at Perseverance, on the East Bank of Demerara.
Every government had sought to address the housing needs of our people, and they could all claim varying levels of success; but admittedly, they did not do enough. Though the housing problem did not go away, we have come a far way from the days when whole families would occupy city pavements and were condemned to live in hovels almost everywhere.

There are still people around who remembered, as well as benefitted, from the pre-independence efforts under a previous Cheddi Jagan administration to build duplexes in the capital, and houses located in farmlands in the countryside. The latter in places such as Black Bush Polder remains an attractive model as housing is linked to agro-production, and literally pays the construction costs. The other model was the 1976 Feed, Clothe and House the Nation drive under the Forbes Burnham government, when clay-brick was introduced on a wide scale, as is evident at massive housing schemes such as Melanie Damishana.

SQUATTING AREAS
Cheddi Jagan returned to the housing drive in the 90s when a programme was implemented to regularise squatting areas, which was followed by an aggressive drive to allocate houselots. A new, exciting practice of distributing houselots by open lottery saw large numbers of persons being able to build heir own homes. The political elites and their friends cashed in as well, and they helped themselves not only to large tracts of land — ostensibly as home-builders — but to posh, private plots over which the spectre of corruption still hovers.

According to Minister Bulkan, the model of handing out houselots to create government housing schemes is flawed. He disclosed that only 28,000 of the 63,000 houselots that were distributed, have been occupied. Many people just do not have the means to build their own houses, and the prices that developers demand are way above their heads,
During 2011-2016, whilst some 20,000 lots were distributed in 38 schemes, only 4,000 houses were built. Some 4,200 acres of land were assigned for these schemes and about $13 billion was spent on infrastructural works, which are incomplete and would require an additional $16 million for proper roads, water and electricity.

NEW APPROACH
The minister has indicated that a new approach is needed to provide affordable and comfortable housing for the estimated 25,000 home-seekers whose applications for lots have been gathering dust. For this, his ministry has been working on a State Paper on Housing to provide not only houses, but develop safe communities. The idea is to provide, with the construction and banking private sectors driving the process, housing units as distinct from houselots. The new plan unfolds the vision for communities, with greater housing density in one area through a combination of duplexes, townhouses and apartments.

Friday, May 27, 2017 will forever be etched in my memory as I have not seen so many smiling faces in one place for a very long time. As I walked from building to building, I saw long lines of newly weds and mothers with babies in their arms waiting to sign up for loans from local bankers. I observed the exciting twinkle of happiness as they touched the new pieces of kitchen utensils and furniture that were on display and that they would want for their new homes.

Perseverance is set to be a new, integrated, model community. In the middle of a cluster of houses, playfields have been carved out, and space is reserved for shopping complexes. Along the access road, we passed the Ramada international hotel, then the New Thriving Restaurant and Massy’s shopping plaza, the Texila University and site for a proposed hospital, Qualfon ITC Centre, building materials depots and a Ski Resort. Soon, with new networks of roads (DiamondOgle), the East Bank and the East Coast corridors would be linked, and would provide strategic services to the Perseverance village.

HAPPY FACES
The site was identified by the previous government for 1000 homes, 50 of which were actually built but could not be occupied due to structural problems. This attracted the attention of the Coalition Government which invited both the local and foreign private sectors to correct the defects and to push construction of an additional 500 houses. Two hundred houses are at varying stages of construction, several already completed and fitted with solar energy. These would be sold after the Exhibition at prices that range between $6 million and $12 million, which include almost a peppercorn payment for the houselots.

During the exhibition, one of the priests who offered prayers, referred to the large 83,000 square miles land mass of Guyana, and light-heartedly shared his vision of every Guyanese owning two houses. I echoed his dream of a new Guyana where every family could have not only a chicken in the pot and a car in the garage, but also another house in their backyard!
For now, the young couples whom I saw at the exhibition are feasting their eyes on a modest, first home either in the form of a cottage or an apartment unit. Many see this within their reach, and they are excited.
No wonder there were so many happy faces at Perseverance.