THREE beneficiaries of the Ministry of Housing’s Housing Solutions 2017 and beyond programme were on Tuesday presented with keys to their new homes.

The first beneficiary, Debra Wilson, expressed much elation at the fact that she has now

been able to own her own home after waiting for a number of years. She is now the owner of a $6.8M duplex located at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Like Wilson, Winston Persaud received his keys for the adjoining apartment within the duplex. Persaud too thanked the Ministry of Housing and subject Minister, Valerie Yearwood, for affording him the opportunity to own his own home.

The third beneficiaries, Angela Thompson and Gary Rowe were unable to receive the keys to their home (a $7M single elevated home), but a relative Irvington Rowe collected on their behalf. The couple is currently overseas. Minister Yearwood told reporters after the brief handing over ceremony that she is happy to have played a part in citizens being able to own their own homes. She said, her administration will continue to have housing projects geared at ensuring all Guyanese are home owners.

In that regard, Minister Yearwood said work will soon commence on the construction of some 40 flat concrete duplexes in Perseverance. She said the duplexes will stand three feet off the ground and at the moment, the Ministry is awaiting the contractor’s performance bond before the contract is signed.

“Land clearance is already in progress,” Yearwood stated, while noting that the total construction cost stands at $540M. It is hoped that the project will be completed by December. According to the Minister, each apartment will cost $7.1M, with $6.8M for the apartment and $300,000 for the land.

Persons interested in duplexes are being asked to visit the Ministry of Housing’s CH&PA Brickdam office on Tuesday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 6, 2017 to register for the duplexes. After registration, those persons will be issued letters to be pre-qualified at commercial banks.

She disclosed too that her ministry is in the process of constructing twenty, three bedroom houses to the tune of $160M in Perseverance, EBD. Each unit will cost $9M and this includes the cost for the land. In fact, interested persons will pay $8.4M for the house and $600,000 for the land and those houses are to be completed in time for Christmas. Minister Yearwood stressed that the project continues to be heavily subsidised in the area of infrastructural development.

Additionally, the Ministry will be constructing 173 single concrete houses, some flat and other on stilts for those persons not desirous of living in a duplex. Those will be completed during the early part of 2018.

Electrification Programme and other projects
Meanwhile, the Housing Minister spoke of the electrification programme and said areas such as Farm, Eccles, Covent Gardens, Peters Hall and Barnwell, stand to benefit as poles are already on the ground. Transformers and cables have been shipped and are en route to Guyana.

“The planting of poles will commence shortly as the tenders are out for construction of the electrical network,” said Yearwood, while noting that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Lelon Saul and a team of technical officers are currently in China to witness the testing of the conductors before they are shipped to Guyana.

She said too that the CH&PA will also be spearheading the construction of 72 houses in collaboration with Food for the Poor at Barnwell, EBD for squatters to be relocated from Broad and Lombard Streets. The Authority will be matching some $42M to be invested by Food for the Poor for the construction of the houses. “We cannot allow those people to remain in that environment,” said the Minister.

The entity will also be investing $30M in infrastructure development which will come in three weeks’ time. Those works include roads, electricity and water. Thus far, two contracts have been awarded to Ivor Allen for the infrastructural development works (roads, drainage and water) at Barnwell, EBD and works are scheduled to be completed within eight weeks.

The Housing Minister disclosed too that adjustments will be made to the existing designs of what is known as the “Food for the Poor homes” and new designs will feature a covered veranda, along with a back patio. That aside, the Ministry of Housing and the CH&PA are working to begin infrastructural works at Farm and Covent Garden to the tune of $130M. Those projects were terminated but it is now hoped that they will be completed by December, 2017.

In the case of Parfaite Harmonie and Westminister, Minister Yearwood said road upgrading works are scheduled to commence within two weeks. She disclosed that under the Inter-American Development Bank’s new reformulated loan, it is projected that more than $500M will be spent to upgrade roads and other social facilities in the Parfait Harmonie area.