PPP MP caught shopping for duplex
PPP MP Joseph Hamilton on the construction site where the duplexes are being built at Perseverance
PPP MP Joseph Hamilton on the construction site where the duplexes are being built at Perseverance

…despite party criticism

THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) on Tuesday said the utterances by PPP/C parliamentarian Nigel Dharamlall that “the people of this country do not want to live in a half home” does not accurately reflect the preference shown by Guyanese for housing solutions.

Mr. Dharamlall during his parliamentary debate on Monday criticised CH&PA housing solutions. CH&PA, in a statement said Dharamlall’s reference to the duplexes which are being constructed by the agency as a part of a range of solutions to meet the huge demand for housing clearly shows his poor understanding of the project.

“It must be noted that the construction of duplexes is deeply rooted in data collected over a lengthy period and through various initiatives by the agency,” the housing authority stated. It was pointed out that Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, and a team met with Guyanese of all walks of life who indicated their interest in duplexes.

Since the agency is in the business of building wholesome communities, decisions are made through a consultative process, it added. The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that Dharamlall’s fellow PPP Parliamentarian Joseph Hamilton has received one of the contracts for construction of the said duplexes. To coincide with Independence 2017, the agency held Guyana’s first Housing Expo with a model village which showcased move-in-ready homes. That event served as a forum for instructive data collection and also reflected the fact that duplex is a preferred option for some applicants.

“An invitation was also extended to Mr. Dharamlall for the premier event. This event gained so much traction, that one of his fellow parliamentarians is working assiduously to aid the agency in meeting the demand for housing by the Guyanese people,” CH&PA stated.
Over the past two years, the agency has been tasked with finding fast and tangible housing solutions for thousands of Guyanese. While it was found that many applicants had letters pending pre-qualification from commercial banks, those who acquired homes under the Thousand Homes Project were stranded with crumbling houses.

“Millions of dollars were spent on extensive consultations countrywide to find ways to remedy the backlog in our system. After taking into consideration the cost of land preparation as well as the low occupancy rate in developed schemes, a decision was made to maximise the use of lands. The construction of duplexes is only one such means to achieve this, and it was met with overwhelming support from many Guyanese,” CH&PA added.

Currently, the agency is working with commercial banks that are fully onboard with this project to see that potential beneficiaries can move into their homes for the Christmas.

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