GUYANA is undergoing some transformational changes which, in a matter of a few years, could change the face of the country. This is due to the several mega-projects that are currently underway and the many others that are soon to come on stream. The oil and gas sector is already a game changer in terms of its impact on the local economy but there are several other growth triggers of which housing development is a major contributor. The PPP/C administration, both current and past, has done an excellent job in terms of providing a roof over the heads of Guyanese, especially for low income families. Tens of thousands of families are now the proud owners of their own homes, which for many was a distant dream under the previous PNC administration.

The private sector has now come on board. Several private-sector led housing projects have already been constructed, catering mainly for middle and high income earners. These are gated communities with amenities comparable to that of the more developed economies. This is particularly attractive to foreigners and Guyanese who are desirous of returning home to live and work.

Among the several new housing projects currently being developed is the Gorchum Housing Scheme Development project, which only recently was a large swathe of land covered with thick vegetation. This area will now be transformed into a housing scheme catering for about 700 house lots and, according to the project summary, the proposed housing scheme will cater for green spaces, gated and open communities, residential areas and commercial zones.

In addition to that project, another mega-housing project is earmarked for construction in the Mahaicony area. The project is estimated to be US$1.4 billion to be constructed in a plot of land encompassing roughly 1,000 acres of land. That ocean-front megaproject is intended to include 75-unit luxury housing complex, a club house, restaurant and leisure facilities and two championship PGA-standard golf courses.

Housing is more than the construction of homes. It is also about the creation of new development hubs and a new complex of services and business. It sooner develops a life on its own much bigger than the individuals who live in those communities.

As the economy gets stronger and stronger, the disposable income of Guyanese will also get stronger which will provide Guyanese with new opportunities to enjoy some of the amenities and luxuries often associated with North America and other developed economies. But there is much more to enjoy in Guyana that are not available in the North and these include the simplicity of life and that unique blend of modernity and nature.

Guyana is rated as one of the best tourist destinations in the world but it is also a place where many people who would have worked their entire life in the developed North can return to a life of comfort and serenity. This is especially so for Guyanese whom there is no place like ‘home’. The housing schemes developed by private investors with amenities that compares favourably with those of the North could provide that opportunity so many overseas Guyanese were waiting for.