THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has, over the past six years, meticulously incorporated the ‘Integrated Community Development Planning Framework’, into its larger planning and development process.
That was in an effort to strengthen the cohesiveness within newly established housing areas, according to the CH&PA Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Myrna Pitt.
She said, Thursday, that community visioning and strategic project prioritisation are two pivotal aspects of the entity’s community planning work, common to which is the opportunity for ownership and empowerment of residents willing to guide planning interventions within their communities.
Pitt said the effects of that strategy is the empowerment of residents, made possible through capacity building which is proving to be a viable contributor to the consolidation of the schemes.
Moreover, as a practice, it also provides positive guidelines that can steer the further growth and development of newly established areas.
Now at its project implementation stage, in Area ‘B’ Lusignan (East Coast Demerara), Tuschen (East Bank Essequibo) and Belle West communities (West Bank Demerara), lessons learned from this community planning approach underscores that continued stakeholder engagement is an asset to the CH&PA’s planning process, she stated.
With a focus on collaboration and transparency, this framework proves that the quality planning output desired by the CH&PA is heavily reliant on continuous interaction with stakeholders within the planning process, particularly residents, Pitt explained.
She said this requires strong communication, collaboration and information sharing  among CH&PA representatives, sister agencies, local authorities and residents, all sustained  by community  specific and innovative  measures /mechanisms that would guide and strengthen the development of the various housing areas.
Pitt emphasised that the agency is committed to effecting change, one community at a time, as partnerships are forged with communities and other stakeholders, to improve the lives  of Guyanese.
In this regard, she said that work will continue in the areas of making housing accessible and affordable, in addition to making communities sustainable
The CH&PA, which is under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Water, has as one of its primary objectives collaboration with stakeholders for the development of sustainable communities.