— but houses for Independence Expo already attracting swarm of visitors

CONTRACTORS are applying the final touches as they gear up for the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) “Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond” exposition set for Independence Day.
Billed for May 26-28, the expo is set to have on display 10 low-income, five moderate and eight middle-income houses, as well as six duplexes and two single units, built by the CH&PA and private contractors.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the model village at Perseverance on the East Bank of Demerara on Sunday, the contractors were completing the interior of the houses, many of which are about 80 per cent completed.
The housing solutions range from two-bedroom wooden and concrete duplexes to single-flat, two and three-bedroom houses of various sizes, structure and designs.
Manager of S. A. Associates, Kwasi Amsterdam, said his company has made significant progress despite constant rains.
“We have been doing great so far. We had a little setback with the weather, but so far so good,” Amsterdam said.
S. A. Associates is the lone company building a claybrick house for the housing expo.
Claybrick houses are nothing new to Guyana. For many, claybrick is the preferred material because it is made from natural materials, have stood the test of time, and is considered to be a non-combustible material.
The 650sq feet, single-flat building has two bedrooms, a toilet and bath, kitchen and a sitting room. It was noted that the exterior of the house will be polished while the interior of the house has already been plastered and painted.

Ahead of the housing expo, hundreds of persons have already visited the model village as they seek to learn more about the housing solutions being offered by the Government through CH&PA. According to Amsterdam, on a daily basis, groups of persons visit S.A. Associates’ claybrick house.
“Every day more and more people are coming. We even have late-night visits. Two families came 10 pm one night while we were working,” he pointed out.
Neil Kurt Rogers of General Contractors Association of Guyana, said the influx of persons since the construction of the houses began has been impressive.
General Contractors Association of Guyana is in the process of building one of the low-income homes.

“It is 600sq ft, but we are trying to make it as spacious as possible,” he told this newspaper.
Like many of the other houses, the single-flat house has two bedrooms, toilet and bath, along with kitchen and sitting room.
“We are just about done. We just have a few more things to do, but those will be finished in time for the expo,” Roger said.
Arch-Tech Design and Construction Manager Kurt David said his company has constructed two houses for the expo – a two-bedroom house that is near completion and a three-bedroom house, which has already been completed.
“The larger of the two is 924sq feet and the other is 750sq feet,” he said. David said many persons have expressed their interest in buying the houses.

Another unique solution being provided is a complete greenheart, wooden two- storey house with three bedrooms, two toilets and baths, and a spacious kitchen and living room with an inside staircase.
This unique house is being constructed by DuraVilla Homes Guyana. The contractor on site, Sewdayal Munilal, said the greenheart wood was specially processed for the house.
“The materials are like no other, they are of an extremely high quality,” he said.

Contractors were also completing the concrete and wooden two-bedroom duplexes being constructed by Government along with the two single units that the CH&PA is also funding.
Perseverance was strategically chosen because the layout is set to accommodate 570 houselots, some of which will help with reducing the 25,000 housing applications’ backlog within the CH&PA system.
Some 200 houses have already been built in the area and the houses that will be on display at the expo will add to the community. At the end of festivities, the houses will be sold.