AN outline National Housing Policy with the visualisation of being the guideline document that will be used by the Government of Guyana and other stakeholders in the development of the housing sector was at the centre of discussions during a stakeholder consultation on last Friday at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal.

The workshop saw representatives of government ministries, agencies and the private and banking sectors among others, putting forward suggestions and ideas for the re-shaping and re-tooling of the document.
Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Myrna Pitt and Dr. Coby Frimpong assisted with drafting the policy.
The minister who opened the discussion explained that the Housing Policy was developed in a way to ensure that it is practical and realistic.
He said this policy is not an assessment that will be done but an implementation tool that will over time be monitored, as the policy carries a built – in implementation schedule and framework.
Ali said that the intention is to implement the policy and all its recommendations so that the housing sector can be protected and sustained and continue to grow.
The goal of the consultation he said was to find the common ground on the development of the document.
He noted that a copy was presented to the stakeholders a few weeks prior to the hosting of the session to ensure their full appraisal and participation.
Ali went on explaining that this was in line with the CPHA’s principle of allowing for transparency, openness and consultative mechanism through, which to advance the housing programme in Guyana
He stated that the draft document contains proposals for application for areas of constraints in the housing development in Guyana.
He added that macroeconomics, housing, demographics and housing trends, land management and marketing in Guyana, housing subsidies and the construction sector with focus on standards, building codes and quality of building materials are central among the issues the document seeks to address.
He pointed out that housing itself has a tremendous effect on the economy, noting that the most powerful economy in the world was both driven and destroyed by the housing sector and that this is an important lesson for developing countries like Guyana.
The minister said that Guyana’s housing programme has been having much success and increasingly investors are seeking to get involved in the programme.
He expressed his concern however that Guyana has to be very guarded, as to how we continue the growth and development of the housing sector, the areas in which we focus and the various macro economics and fiscal policies that govern the development of this sector.
CHPA has over the years, pushed Guyana’s housing programmes with unprecedented successes in a major way.
The National Housing Policy is part of the CHPA’s aim of giving clear policy directions to future development of the housing in Guyana.