PERSONS from across Guyana flocked the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, yesterday, to secure the opportunity to acquire their house lots as the Ministry of Housing and Water staged its 59th “One Stop Shop.”

From very early persons made their way into the stadium in their quest to be among the first batch of persons to receive house lots for Plantation Providence Phase 3, East Bank Demerara. Speaking briefly with the very eager patrons, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Water, Emile McGarrel related that the development of the Phase 3 area started in March 2013 and some $1.2B was spent in doing so. He also said that “$60M was spent on providing electricity for the persons that would be occupying the allocated lots.”
McGarrel wished the allotees all the best in the future exhorting, “You have begun one of the most important investments in “your life and your family’s life and that is to own your own home.”

Chief Executive Office Central Housing and Planning Authority, Ms. Myrna Pitt explained that the Ministry will be allocating more than 500 house lots for the Providence Phase 3: “This will pave the way for over 500 families to realise their dream of home ownership and this is just a section of the development of the East Bank Housing projects”.
“In totality, the East Bank housing project will cater for approximately 17, 000 house lots which amount to about 2,000 acres of land. We are expecting to be able to provide housing for almost seventy thousand citizens,” Ms. Pitt noted. She explained that 300 acres of land have been set aside for industrial purposes, also land have been earmarked for schools, day care centres and community playgrounds. Land is also earmarked, and some have already been allocated to persons, for warehousing, entertainment centres such as theaters, mall, call centres and even a medical university.
According to Ms. Pitt, the Ministry has not only allocated residential lots but also industrial so as to create job opportunities for persons that will be residing within these areas. Congratulating the persons gathered she said: “You are all stepping in the right direction in owning your own home.”
Melissa Hendricks, one of the beneficiaries, said: “Receiving my lot today is great and I am excited to be in my own home soon and enjoy my own comforts,” Kushnarine Singh another beneficiary of a house lot explained that “I have only recently gotten married and starting a new life and to be given this opportunity of owning my own home is so good.” He explained that he will not have to pay a rent anymore he can use the same monies to repay a bank loan “and at the end of all of this the place is mine.”
Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, briefly addressed the allotees explaining the ministry’s plan on the road infrastructure, noting that when there is over 75% occupancy within this area then the roads will be asphalted “if we do this now the road will break up because of all the construction machinery that will be going in and out of this area.”
Ali implored allottees that they should not be lured by other persons to resell their land since the bank value for one of the allotted land is estimated at $12M. He also informed them that because this has been a recent problem the ministry is encountering “we have in place on the contract you will be signing that the land cannot be sold or title transferred for 10 years.”
Housing Minister congratulated the allotees on now being owners of their own house lots and wished them success in the construction of their homes. “This is another example that the Government is working for our people. It is our duty to do so and we are proud that we can provide this service for you,” he said.

(By Rebecca Ganesh-Ally)