…250 core houses, 200 single units to be built

IN 2018 the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will invest US$20M to develop infrastructure in several housing schemes while another US$10M has been set aside to build 250 core houses as it seeks to meet the needs of the poor and working class.

Citizens are also expected to benefit from millions of dollars in home-improvement subsidies. CH&PA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lelon Saul made the disclosure on Tuesday while detailing how the housing authority would utilise the US$30M loan that it is expected to receive from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The US$30M is expected to complement the $1.6B CH&PA currently has in its coffers.

“The larger portion of that loan would go towards infrastructure development and this will result in infrastructure improvement in several CH&PA schemes that are located between Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara, then along the East Bank to Golden Grove and across the river to Parfaite Harmonie,” Saul explained as he addressed reporters at CH&PA’s headquarters.

It was pointed out that in the Sophia-Cummings Lodge Area, 17 kilometres of road will be upgraded to asphaltic concrete. Infrastructural development is part of the second component of the CH&PA plan of action for 2018. In the second component, the CEO disclosed that a total of 250 core houses will be constructed in the housing schemes that span Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara to Golden Grove on the East Bank of Demerara in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and La Partfaite Harmonie in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). From that lot, 100 families from the Sophia-Cummings Lodge Community are in line to receive core houses.

“Each of these units cost approximately $4M, and those houses basically will be given free to deserving residents. Of course, there will be criteria that must be met,” Saul posited.
It was made clear, however, that though these core houses are intended for the poor and working class, they will not be given to squatters. “Those who are squatting in Sophia would not benefit from core houses… here we are speaking about people who are living on regularised lots, and those people who have legitimate house lots, but they are living in shacks. Those are the people who would benefit from the intervention,” the CEO further explained.

Also under the second component, the CH&PA will be disbursing millions of dollars in home- improvement subsidies. Though Saul was unable to disclose the total number of subsidies that would be handed out in 2018, in the medium term, close to 2,000 persons would benefit from these subsidies. The criteria and guidelines for these subsidies will be published in the local newspapers. In 2018, CH&PA’s focus would also be on the construction of single units. The CEO explained that data coming out of a recently concluded survey, has shown a strong preference by applicants for single units when compared to duplexes and condominiums.

“The preference is for single units. Of course, we would want our work here at CH&PA and our plans to be driven by data, it should be evidence-based. The preference for duplex, the preference for condominiums is very low among applicants,” the CEO explained.

As such, in an effort to meet the demands of the people, CH&PA is hoping to complete an additional 100 single units at Perseverance on the East Bank of Demerara in 2018. In Linden, Region 10, approximately 40 single units will be constructed while 20 will be erected on the West Coast of Berbice, 10 in Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast and 20 in Onderneeming on the West Bank of Demerara. Currently, 80 units are available in Perseverance and interested citizens are invited to apply, Saul said.

In addition to the US$30M, 164 full house-replacement subsidies and 38 roof replacement subsidies are anticipated to be disbursed under the Hinterland Sustainable Housing Programme which has been allocated $240M in 2018.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan, in presenting the $267.1B National Budget for 2018, told the National Assembly that though faced with several challenges, CH&PA formulated and made available a number of housing solutions such as single houses, duplexes, and condominiums to the public. For 2017 CHPA piloted 6 duplexes, 2 elevated single-family houses; issued 2,116 land titles; regularised 322 squatters; and allotted 381 house lots.

With one month left before 2017 comes to an end, the housing authority is hoping to distribute in excess of 400 house lots that are currently available. However, preference is being given to applicants whose applications have been in the system since in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Currently, there are approximately 50, 000 applications in the system.