SOME 500 lots are being developed in the new Charity Housing Scheme, Region Two, for housing, and commercial and industrial purposes.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, on Sunday, visited the scheme to have a first-hand look at the ongoing work.

“This is going to be an incredibly exciting development because ultimately it is going to lead to 400 families being able to have their own home in this area. There is tremendous demand of house lots in the region. For this year, we have distributed 700 house lots just in Region Two alone,” Minister Singh said.

He related that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration’s housing programme has been exceptional, with thousands of young people being able to become homeowners.
This, he said, could be seen by examining communities such as La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara and Diamond/Grove East Bank Demerara.

“We intend to continue rolling out this housing programme aggressively and as you know, we have committed to distributing 10,000 house lots per annum. You have seen the energy and vigour in which the Ministry of Housing has already set about implementing His Excellency’s mandate in this regard,” Dr. Singh said.

He related that the government has implemented a number of measures to incentivise homeownership and home construction. Those include the removal of Value Added Tax on construction materials, increasing of the ceiling for low-income loans, increased ceiling on mortgages by the New Building Society and increasing the ceiling for loan eligible for mortgage interest relief.

He said that those measures are geared at making homeownership affordable for the ordinary Guyanese.

Chairperson of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Two, Vilma DaSilva, said that land preparation has already commenced. Despite the inclement weather, DaSilva said the region is maximising periods of favourable weather.

“So, what we are going to do, is when the lands are finished clearing, the infrastructural work will go in place before residents will take up their lots but it is already allocated to them. The measurements and so are done, but they cannot occupy until the infrastructural work is completed,” she related.

To date, the Ministry of Housing and Water has distributed over 9,000 house lots countrywide. The commitment by the PPP/C administration is to deliver 50,000 house lots by the end of its first term in office. (DPI)