HOUSING and Water Minister Collin Croal has announced that as the ministry’s 2022 allocation drive continues, some 15,000 applicants will be served.

The announcement was made on Tuesday during a community meeting at Esau and Jacob, in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Another meeting was also held at Fairfield, Mahaica. Minister Croal noted that all efforts are being made to meet the housing demand in Region Five, and that the ministry is actively trying to acquire lands in the Burma area for allocation.

Region Five has some 3,000 pending applications. Within the last 18 months, the ministry has received some 950 new applications from the region.

The minister assured residents that under the ministry’s 2023 work programme, provision will be made for infrastructure development in the new housing scheme.

“The vibrancy you see coming from the ministry is a direct reflection of the President’s vision for the sector,” he said.

The minister assured residents of Region Five that their needs are not being neglected.

“We are ensuring that development for our country reaches all; not just for a selected few. When we speak about One Guyana, it is about development for all,” he noted.

The minister stressed that every Guyanese will benefit from Guyana’s new-found wealth.

Equally important, too, he noted, is road network, which are vital when developing new housing schemes.

On the topic of water delivery, the minister noted that within the next two days, a team from Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) will be visiting the area to assess the situation.

“It was brought to the minister’s attention that some 130 households in Esau and Jacob are without potable water. The team is expected to visit and assess the situation to find the best solution in terms of connectivity to the water system,” Minister Croal said.

Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal, and Regional Member of Parliament Fizal Jaffarally also attended the meetings.

The residents were also brought up to date on other development projects from which the region will benefit in the coming months.

According to the Housing Ministry, rehabilitation works will be executed on the Burma Road to the tune of $100M under the Ministry of Public Works. A section of the Esau and Jacob Road will also be rehabilitated.

Residents were also facilitated by staff of the Conveyance and Community Development Departments of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) who were on the ground assisting with housing matters.