…housing units for as low as $4M on offer

THE Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has teamed up with some private developers including the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Prison Service to build 50 homes for low-income applicants at Prospect New Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara.

The CH&PA disclosed that more than 50 per cent of Guyanese are applying for house lots within the low-income bracket and the housing officials are responding to this demand. An open-house exercise was held on Friday, during which applicants were afforded the opportunity to view some of the buildings in the low, moderate and middle-income brackets.

CH&PA, Chief Executive Officer, Lelon Saul said the prices range from $4M to $6M and $9M.He added that to better address the housing needs for citizens, CH&PA is compelled to move beyond single units and duplexes. Saul revealed that condominiums will be added to new housing developments. “In relation to this project, infrastructure development commenced in November 2018 and several contractors were awarded contracts for land preparation and infrastructure development, totalling, $100M. These contractors are Khemraj Nauth Contracting Services and Puran Brothers Disposal Incorporated, for infrastructure development,” Saul said.

Saul also highlighted that the agency hired contractors to construct twenty houses at the cost of $20M. Thirty other housing units were built by the other collaborative partners.
Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams-Yearwood, stated that there is a low occupancy rate in several newly developed housing schemes.

Therefore, ‘We are going into communities where there are house lots that are unoccupied. If there are not allotted to anyone, persons can write into the CH&PA requesting to be allotted those lands. We want to ensure that everyone becomes a homeowner,” Minister Adams-Yearwood said

The houses, measuring 400 square feet each, feature two standard size bedrooms, bath and washroom area, kitchen and living room space and a small patio which stands on a plot of land measuring 40 feet x 80 feet. The minister stated that one lucky person will be awarded a furnished one-bedroom wooden house at the end of the event.

“This house that we will be giving away will be furnished by the staff of the Central Housing and Planning Authority along with a food hamper for the lucky person or family. I am not going to tell you what else we have in store for you, the rest is a surprise,” Minister Valarie Adams-Yearwood said.

Adams-Yearwood said that low-income applicants will receive vouchers in order to participate. She disclosed that the draw for the single-bedroom house will be held on Monday at CH&PA Brickdam, Georgetown. “At the conclusion of this event, the agency will be constructing additional units in the Prospect community and other communities shortly,” the minister said. The exhibition which commenced on Friday will continue Saturday and Sunday from 10.00hrs to 18.00hrs at Prospect New Housing Scheme, EBD. (DPI)