SEVEN hundred and sixty eight (768) families are expected to be housed in the first phase of the implementation of government’s new housing programme. Members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are among those targeted to benefit.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities, with responsibility for housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson and a team from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), on Wednesday engaged police ranks, stationed in Region Four on the government’s Housing Solutions for state employees. The sides met at the GPF’s Training Centre at Camp and Young Streets, Eve Leary.

The minister’s team comprised CH&PA’s Operation Director, Denise Tudor-King and acting Project Director, Omar Narine.

The Minister said the government will be maximising the use of its available lands to offer a range of housing solutions that will cater to their needs, and those of other low, moderate and middle income persons. Adams-Patterson stated that the CH&PA’s focus right now is to build duplexes and townhouses. She explained that these types of houses will accommodate a larger number of families, as compared to giving house lots.

Meanwhile, the ranks heard from Narine that initially 265 buildings will be constructed and that these will be divided into 768 units, each housing a family. He further explained that each duplex will house two families and each townhouse, six families. He said that the townhouses’ dimension will be 22 x 26 square feet (sq. ft.) and the duplexes, 20 x 40 sq. ft. He added that both housing options provide for units, comprising two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen and indoor toilet and bath.

The engagement with police ranks is part of an on-going exercise organised by the CH&PA, in collaboration with the Guyana Police Association. The exercise is in fulfillment of a commitment made to the association to address, with urgency, the housing needs of policemen and women. As per this commitment, CH&PA in 2016, met with ranks in Regions Three, Five and Six and allocated house lots at prices ranging from $92,000 to $1.5M. (GINA)