MINISTER of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali has said that over the past years, the Ministry  of Housing and Water along with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has continued to pursue  its statutory mandate to make housing affordable and  accessible to low-income earners and will continue to do so in accordance with Government of Guyana’s development objectives.
He reaffirmed this commitment last week during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle where he sought to highlight some of the targets already achieved.
Ali exhorted that through the budgetary allocation of $3.6 billion to the Ministry of Housing this year, even more lots will be allocated in addition to the increase in processing and distribution of titles.
This includes the development of new house lots in areas such as Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni /Mazaruni) Amelia’s Ward, Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice), and Belle West, Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) are also targeted for this year.
In an effort to provide community services in the newly established schemes, multi-purpose buildings were also completed in Belle West, Westminster, Cummings Lodge and Glasgow.
“There will also be reconstruction and upgrading works for existing roads in established housing schemes under the Community Roads Improvement Project (CRIP),” he said.
In addition to the government implemented housing programmes, under the Second Low Income Settlement Programme (LIS2), 400 core houses are expected to be completed.
Continuing in their bid to address issues of affordable and sustainable housing for all Guyanese, the Ministry of Housing also introduced the ‘Core House Pilot’ Project geared at improving occupancy level in targeted schemes.
Through this programme ‘Starter Homes’ were constructed with the objective of improving the quality of life of low income families by not only issuing house lots but by providing greater access to housing.
To make this possible the Government of Guyana received financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the Second Low Income Settlement Programme (LIS 2), which is a follow up of the First Low Income Settlement Programme, successfully implemented by the CH&PA and completed in 2007.
Ali said this initiative was designed to ensure that all Guyanese including the poor and the vulnerable are in an equitable position and over the years, he has continuously emphasised that the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Housing remains committed to investing in the people without disparity.
Through these exercises, thousands of lives were transformed as many poor families were given the opportunity of owning their own homes, a possibility most of them had never dreamt of, a prospect that forever changedtheir lives.
Under this programme too, road and water distribution networks have also commenced at established housing areas such as Block 8 Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, Section EE Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, Ordnance Fortlands, No. 76 Village in Berbice and Belle West, West Bank Demerara, as well as at squatter sites including Section D Sophia, Greater Georgetown, Binkey Ally- Lusignan, East Coast Demerara and Block 5 and Areas R Ankerville in Berbice.
Ali emphasised that the government is not just satisfied with the provision of affordable housing to its citizens but have also implemented initiatives to make home ownership more efficient and accessible.