THE Government and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) have advanced discussions on the funding of affordable housing solutions and urban renewal in Guyana.On Monday, a team of IsDB officials comprising the Urban Development Divisional Manager, Idrissa Dia, and Senior Financial Analyst, Wahyu Wijayanto,met with the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan and the Minister with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Paterson, along with the Chairman of the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) Board, Hamilton Green.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry said the meeting, which was held at the Department of Housing Brickdam’s Office, was aimed at furthering discussions that were initiated during the initial engagement in October 2016.
“It is understood that the first basic human need is the right to shelter and there is a deep and crying need from a large size of our population for housing,” Minister Bulkan said as he detailed Government’s plans to provide affordable housing in cohesive and sustainable communities.

The Minister of Communities said he is pleased to know that the bank brings the conditions of both sympathy and, more importantly, empathy to this human need.

Meanwhile, the IsDB representative, Dia, said that Guyana has a great advantage as the proposed project conforms to the core values of the bank—integration, equality and restoring dignity, which are also the core values of Islam.

“This bank is not only for Muslims, its genesis was formed in solidarity of Muslim countries and aims to bring communities together and keep them together under development, peace and dignity,” Dia outlined. He added that the IsDB is also committed to financing mainly non-traditional projects that seek to help those who may have been marginalised. “I reaffirm here our willingness to support the transformation of the housing sector,as the notion of providing housing adds to the social value of any society,” Dia added.

Meanwhile,following a more detailed presentation of the proposal, several questions were raised by the visiting team, spanning the issues of financing for beneficiaries, sensitization and communities involved for the purpose of data collection.

To this, Minister with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson pointed out that already the Department of Housing has been selling the new ideas to applicants.

She noted that while there was some reluctance as is the case with any new initiative, more and more persons are buying into the idea of apartment buildings, duplexes and the other housing solution initiatives being proposed.

Further, she noted that in May of 2017, the Guyanese public will be given the opportunity to see some of the new housing solutions the administration will be offering with the launch of ‘Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond”. At this forum,life-size models will be built for display and sale at the existing Perseverance Housing scheme.

Guyana Chronicle understands that Minister Bulkan and the IsDB officials visited two of the project areas in Little Diamond and Great Diamond late Tuesday afternoon.

Last October, the Ministry of Communities was among Ministries that made several developmental pitches to Executives of the Islamic Development Bank during their visit to Guyana.

The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Housing Programme includes 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 include 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.

In 2017, preference will be given to state employees, low income earners and youths.However, in order to access these housing facilities, Minister Patterson said applications must be within CH&PA’s system.