– through new, ‘transparent’ selection process

By Gabriella Chapman

TWENTY-six prequalified applicants were on Thursday selected by way of a lottery draw to be allocated housing units at the Perseverance Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara.

The draw was done at the Head Office of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, where Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Ms. Valarie Adams-Yearwood stated that the process is a new and transparent way of selecting beneficiaries for the housing units.

She explained that in the past, selection was done internally by management, after which those selected would have been notified.

This time around, however, the names of all those who would have been prequalified by the banks and the New Building Society were placed in a bag and persons were invited to pull one, lottery-style. The names that were pulled from the bag represent those who would be given houses in the area.

“I would have done this in Linden two weeks ago, and that was the pilot,” Minister Adams-Yearwood said. “And I think that the public felt very happy that they were involved in the selection process; and it also adds to the transparency.”

The units are two and three-bedroom flat houses, but they have not been completed as yet.

Minister Adams-Yearwood explained that it was the banks which asked that the CPHA go ahead and do their selection so they can start the mortgage process and be ready to make disbursement when the houses are done. She also added that this is the strategy that will be employed throughout the rest of the housing process, so that no one can accuse the ministry of selecting friends and family.

Minister explained that it is also important to note that they cannot satisfy everyone wanting a house, because the demand far surpasses what they are capable of providing. She, however, has high hopes that with the oil find, they will be able to do more.
“You are to note that we cannot satisfy everyone who would have applied for these housing units. For instance, we built 60 elevated concrete houses, and we had over 130 persons prequalified. So we cannot satisfy the demand as is,” she said. “However, we are projecting that as the oil money comes and more monies are made available to us, we’ll be able to build more units in a more rapid pace because it seems as though the demand now is for housing units rather than a house lot.”

Minister Adams-Yearwood further noted that the CHPA will be exploring ways in which to build houses that are affordable, since most of the persons wanting house lots are those who would find it difficult to be qualified by banking institutions.
In addition to the 26 units disbursed on Thursday, the Minister said that she is happy to announce that they are constructing two disability units in keeping with her budget 2018 promise to the House, and Guyana’s committment to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“We are working with the Disabilities Commission firstly to design the buildings to ensure that it is appropriate and suitable,” Minister Minister Adams-Yearwood said.
“We had them visit the project to see how it’s coming, and if it is to their satisfaction. They will also assist us in identifying the two beneficiaries. And that’s just the start. I’m committing to every housing project that we’re doing in the future, and they cater for persons with disabilities. And I think that’s a very nice note for us.”

The names of the beneficiaries of the two- bedroom houses are:
Christopher Hodge and Jasmine Benjamin-Hodge; Dwayne Andrews; Nalissa Mathoo; Trimaine Sampson; Sunnara Osborne; Ayanna Fontanelle and Randolph Reid; Danielle Campbell-Lowe and Paul Lowe; Nekisha Prince; Rochelle Peters; Monifa Carmichael; Erica and Victor Harrinandan; and Carolina Deochand.

Those for the three-bedroom houses are: Marlon Parris; Vernella Rutherford and Clement Bair; Monique Nelson; Sharmaine Yarde; Oneil and Carlotte Atkins; Ijeoma Opara; Rawleston Kennedy; Nalini Locke; Rosalind Perreira-Scott; Leanna Damond; Mel and Dale Williams; Matthew Morian; Pansy and Joseph Armstrong; and Anita Denny.

The two-bedroom houses are worth G$6.5M, and the three-bedroom one G$9M.