— at one stop by gov’t; Coalition gave 360 in five years

WITH 400 house lots to be distributed and 144 land titles and transports to be issued by the end of today, the Housing Authority commenced their massive ‘Dream Realised’ housing drive in Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10, on Tuesday.

The exercise marks the largest land allocation in the region over the past five years. The two-day event is being held at the Amelia’s Ward Primary School.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and Minister within The Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, will continue their work on the ground today, along with managers and staff of the agencies assisting members of the public.

The Housing and Water Ministry is working with the Ministry of Health and residents are required to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines.

In his feature address, Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, said government has distributed 4,724 as well as titles and transports in Regions Two, Four, Five, Six Seven, Eight, Nine and 10 in less than one year.
“Compare that to the 360 lots that were allocated between May 2015 and July 2020: For example, I can provide the exact figures. In 2015 – 1; 2016 – 36; 2017 – 201; 2018 – 121; 2019 – zero; 2020 – 1. And of that number only 20 houses were built,” Minister Croal said.

He disclosed that there will also be a nursery school, health centre, market, bus and taxi terminals, a playground and recreational facilities for the housing development while lots will be allocated to applicants who are members of the Disciplined Services.

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) has more than 4,000 pending applications from Region 10.

WILL BE CONTACTED

“For this exercise, applicants, prior to 2010, were also contacted. Unfortunately, the contact information for some of them is outdated and so we could not reach everyone. Be reminded to ensure that you regularly update your information; you can do so by visiting the ministry’s website and following the prompts. Notwithstanding though, once you applied, rest assured that you will be contacted for future allocations,” he told the gathering.

Adding that the house-lot allocation in Amelia’s Ward is not being done in isolation, he said between now and 2022, government is expected to expend at least $2.9 billion for infrastructure in Region 10 under the Housing Sector.

These works, he said, are not only expected to be completed in 2022, but will benefit all of the citizens who will live in Linden.
Over the past year, Minister Croal said the Housing Ministry has been pursuing policies and interventions that will not just provide affordable housing for Guyanese but will create complete communities.

MAJOR INVESTMENTS

“There are several areas in Linden that cannot access clean, safe water for a number of reasons. Those areas include Amelia’s Ward Squatting Area Block 42, aback Cinderella City; South Amelia’s Ward; Bamia and an area across Kara Kara Creek. BurJag, Prosville, Andyville and Rasville are home to informal settlers who, in addition to water, need electricity and roads.
So on that note, I am very happy to tell you that in the coming months, the Guyana Water Incorporated will begin several major investments in Region 10,” he emphasised.

He told residents that while certain critical infrastructure for the communities in which they live are missing, “we at the Ministry of Housing and Water are doing everything we can to close those gaps.”

He continued: “As we speak, there are other interventions that you stand to benefit from which will make life easier for you and your children. We will ensure that for each housing project there are safe spaces for the children to enjoy, not only open parks and playgrounds, but also community centres.”

He explained that the recently launched Community-Based Employment Stimulation Project (CESP) will create jobs within identified communities through the purchase of concrete blocks from blockmakers, who live in the communities, to be used on houses to be built by CHPA over the next five years.

“CHPA will provide some support to blockmakers through the provision of tools, training and other means. Similar opportunities will come to Lindeners. There are other programmes that will, in time, be introduced to your community, so look out for that information,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal was dismayed about the abysmal land distribution in Linden under the previous government when Linden is supposed to be its strongest support base and the previous Housing Minister is also from Linden.

“This PPP/C government understands the frustrations that many of you face when it comes to housing. We are very aware of how having a roof over your head is tied to your own sense of self-worth and how it can be a catalyst for self-development and community development,” he explained to the gathering.