–but funding still an issue

MINISTER within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams-Patterson, has said the first set of duplexes would likely be constructed within the first quarter of 2017, but the source of finance for this project is yet to be determined.

Speaking at a People’s National Congress/Reform-sponsored press conference at Congress Place on Tuesday, Minister Patterson, while acknowledging that the government does not have the required finance to fund the ministry’s housing project — which includes the construction of duplexes, condominiums and apartments — said the Ministry of Communities has turned to the Islamic Development Bank for help.

Last month, the Ministry of Communities was among ministries that made several developmental pitches to executives of the Islamic Development Bank during their visit here.
And from all indications, Minister Patterson said, the international bank appears to have bought into the project, but a decision has not yet been made.

In the interim, the minister said, based on the advice of President David Granger, the Ministry of Communities will be looking to commence the construction of the duplexes as part of the first phase of the housing project.

She explained, however, that Cabinet has not yet made a decision on whether the duplexes would be constructed solely at the expense of tax payers, or whether a grant or a loan would be solicited from the Islamic Development Bank.

THE PROJECT
The overall project allows for the construction of approximately 3,300 apartment units in three locations, as well as 1000 duplexes in 12 areas spread across five coastal regions.

Some of the areas at reference include the communities of Little and Great Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara; East La Penitence in Central Georgetown; and Cummings Lodge on the East Coast of Demerara.

Come next year, Minister Patterson said, preference will be given to State employees, low-income earners and youths; but in order to be eligible, they would have to have an application within the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA)’s system.

The minister had convened the press conference to express the PNCR’s support of the Coalition Government’s decision to build communities rather than allocate “house lots”, as was done under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.

“Building viable communities has always been the thrust of the PNC’s housing policy, in and out of office,” Minister Patterson said.

“In our Party’s first ten years in office, we developed a housing programme that provided housing of satisfactory standards and sizes for low and middle-income families. We stimulated co-operatives, self-help and other forms of non-profit-making means of building communities. We changed the landscape of housing and home ownership in Guyana,” she told reporters in the presence of Party General Secretary Mr. Oscar Clarke and National Secretary of the Youth Arm, Mr. Brian Smith.

HOUSING BEFORE ‘92
It was also pointed out that the PNCR government, while in office, had increased the housing stock by producing new accommodation at the rate of over 4000 units per annum.

“It was under the PNC that communities such as Tucber, Tucville, Amelia’s Ward, North and South Ruimveldt, Festival City, Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Melanie Damishana, Stevedore Scheme, The Wismar-Rockstone Housing Project, Dazzel Housing Scheme and many others were developed,” Minister Patterson recalled.

She said that unlike what obtained under the PPP/C administration, the PNCR did not allocate undeveloped plots of land to people. “We gave them a key to a well-built house in a community with paved roads, light and running water,” she said, adding that it’s no secret that the PPP’s housing policy was a failure.

“Communities were allowed to be developed with inadequate infrastructure: water, light, roads etc,” she said, adding: “The 1000 Homes Project, also known as the Turnkey Project, was officially launched at Providence in 2014 by the PPP government. However, despite being allocated, several of the almost 50 completed houses remain unoccupied because of poor construction and finishing, coupled with structural faults.

“Also, this programme was riddled with corruption and poor management.”

UNDER PROBE
An investigation conducted by the Ministry of Communities into the PPP’s housing programme has found that 66,000 service lots were developed in 380 areas in Guyana from 1995 to 2015; but to date, approximately 28,000, the equivalent of 45 per cent of the lots, are unoccupied.

And during the period 2011 to 2015, approximately 20,000 lots were developed in 13 areas, for which approximately 16,000, or 80 per cent, are currently unoccupied, in many cases as a result of a lack of access roads, water and electricity.

It is for this reason, the minister said, the PNCR supports the new initiative of the Ministry of Communities to replace the 1000 Homes Project with apartments and condominiums, to provide the critical housing needed for especially low and middle-income families.

“Our party, as part of the Coalition Government, is also committed to ensuring that suitable and developed land is made available for private house building for those persons who could afford to build their own homes,” Minister Patterson said.

The party also used the opportunity to call on lending institutions to provide incentives and assistance to the house-building industry through mortgage financing and short-term loans for repairs, extensions and home improvement, and long-term loans for new construction and rebuilding of condemned houses.