Dream of home-ownership becomes reality
Beverly Rodrigues, 58, (centre) with her daughters, is looking forward to owning her home
Beverly Rodrigues, 58, (centre) with her daughters, is looking forward to owning her home

— Region Nine residents overjoyed by government’s assistance to fast -track process

FOR many Guyanese, nothing beats the excitement of owning their homes as this dream is often out of reach for many, given the cost to buy or build one.
Persons are all the more grateful and excited when measures and initiatives are put in place to help alleviate some of the burdens in building a house.

Last Friday, this excitement came to several residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) when President, Dr Irfaan Ali announced a new initiative, whereby the government  will be giving $1 million to each person owning a lot, starting with the current 600 allottees in the region.

This money will be going towards a number of $3 million houses that the government will be assisting residents to build. The government has also negotiated with two lending agencies to finance the remaining $2 million at an interest rate of 3.5 per cent, without the need for collateral or a job letter.

For residents, they see this move as not only an investment to get them closer to owning their own homes, but one that will bring overall development to the region.
“It’s a big boost for the Rupununi. It’s a big boost for the individuals who have the land and everybody else is going to benefit off of that because it’s a cycle. The labourers, the hardware stores that you have to purchase the construction materials from they will benefit, while the persons building don’t have to worry about getting money here and there and trying and struggling,” said Robert Narine, 30.

A father of three, Narine currently lives in a rented unit, which he said is not an optimum living arrangement for his family, and as such, he is all the more eager to get a house of his own.
“Renting an apartment, it’s not ideal. I live with other people and you don’t have your privacy. You just work and live there you can’t really have a life, and it affected my finances a lot. Sometimes you want to do certain things but you can’t, you have to just pay rent, bills and take care of your children. It’s a tough road, but you still got to try,” he said.

A mechanic, Narine had applied for a house lot since 2017, and was finally allocated a plot last year, following accelerated allocations by the government.

MEANS EVERYTHING
“It was a whole relief to finally get through with my land, because if you don’t own a land or a property you feel stressed; it’s a weight and an agony. It means everything to finally own your own home, something that you can rely on, and it feels like it’s worth living for,” Narine told the Guyana Chronicle.

The government over the past two years has been accelerating the rate of homeownership through several initiatives that offer financing and material assistance, in addition to the increase in house lot allocations. The government has pledged to allocate 50,000 house lots in five years, beginning in 2020.

In addition to $1 million each for Region Nine house-lot owners, earlier this year, President Ali had announced another initiative where persons constructing homes at the value of $6 million or less will receive one sling of cement, along with the steel to be used for the foundation of the house. The government has also removed or lowered taxes on several items used in the construction sector.

After yearning for over 20 years to own her own home, 58-year-old Beverly Rodrigues could not stop smiling at how close she is getting to realising her dream.
Rodrigues also got through with a land allocation from the government last year and for her that first step of getting the land meant so much to her.

“I jumped for joy. You know what is it when you are longing for something so long, and it’s like it just shock you with more joy than anything, you just feel so, so good,” Rodrigues expressed.
Despite not having enough funds to build her home, a resolute Rodrigues has already submitted her building plans to be approved and was planning to build step by step until her house is completed.

BUILD STEP BY STEP
“I am determined, I make up my mind that I will own a home someday. My own home so nobody can’t put me out.  I was going to do it piece piece, in stages. Do the foundation, then gather money again and do another stage,” Rodrigues expressed.

Rodrigues, who works as a self-employed pastry maker, said her drive to get her own home came from having to raise her two daughters as a single mother, and wanting to leave something behind for them.
But now with massive assistance coming from the government, Rodrigues is looking forward to getting her home sooner than she had anticipated.

“It feels so, so good knowing that you would be getting assistance to get your own house now. I will use it [money] mainly on the building to see how far it can carry this house. And the rate with the bank loan is not so much, so I think it’s very good; I would go for that as well,” Rodrigues shared.

Twenty-five-year-old mother of two, Enola Johnny, had gotten through with her land allocation in 2019, and while excited to pass that first step, the lack of finance has been stymying her ability to move further with commencing construction. Now she will be able to make a start.

“It means everything to me to be able to own my own home. It’s everybody’s dream to own their own home, to turn their own key. This assistance now will help out a great lot for us in the Rupununi here, with COVID and so it’s been rough around here,” she told the Guyana Chronicle.

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