–with panel discussion on housing

IN honour of Habitat for Humanity Guyana’s 20th Anniversary and World Habitat Day, a panel discussion was held yesterday on the topic “The role of affordable housing in breaking the cycle of poverty” at the Theatre Guild of Guyana. 

Present at the event yesterday were representatives from the European Union (EU), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), GT&T, and students from St. Joseph High School and St.

Stanislaus College.
The discussion follows a survey on the importance of housing which was recently carried out by Habitat for Humanity Guyana.
According to Director of Habitat for Humanity Guyana, Rawle Small, the discussion was aimed at helping a lot of current and prospective home owners and policy makers, and other actors within the market to look at what is happening in the housing sector from a market point of few.

AFFORDABLE HOUSES
Habitat for Humanity Guyana undertakes a housing programme every year, whereby they assist less fortunate persons to get houses at affordable prices.
Since 1995 they have assisted more than 5,000 individuals in getting a home.
Mr. Small further stated that the housing programme this year will see approximately 40 houses in Regions 3, 4 and 10 being constructed.
Each year they assist approximately 500 less fortunate families, some of whom will receive new homes or have repairs done on their homes.

FINANCIAL LITERACY
Training for financial literacy and hydroponics farming in partnership with partners for the Americas will also be offered to some of these families.
For over 17 years the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) has been partnering with Habitat for Humanity Guyana to make the housing programme possible.
This year GT&T handed over $1M to Habitat for Humanity Guyana, which will be used in the housing programme.
Small added that when looking at housing, you have to look at all the other surrounding factors, noting that “it could affect education because of improper spaces for children to study, it can affect their performance at school, likewise health, if substandard material are used, if you don’t have proper ventilation, for example if you are living too close to a dumpsite, these can affect your health.”
He also noted that studies have shown that when families are in an adequate living space, family interaction tends to improve, so children and parents spend more time together. Therefore housing is a critical aspect of development not just from an economic point of view, but also from a human development point of view.
Meanwhile, Habitat for Humanity Guyana is calling on other organisations to support this venture and assist in making the lives of the less fortunate better.

(By Navendra Seoraj)