THERE is a great sense of fulfilment that accompanies the acquisition of land or property, especially a house which will eventually be transformed into a home by a family that occupies the space, creates lasting memories and uses it as a foundation for further development and advancement.

A house is far more than just a roof over someone’s head. In the economic sense, regardless of the size, it is a physical asset that could be used in many ways for personal development, and on the social side, it is a space where children are nurtured, families are built, and norms and values are taught.

And while access to adequate housing is a basic human right and is considered essential for the attainment of other economic, cultural and social benefits, it is no secret that governments worldwide have encountered challenges in trying to house its people.

In Guyana, regardless of the hurdles that exist, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government must be commended for its massive housing initiatives and supportive systems that make access to financing for construction easier.

With the country’s economy set to quadruple in the coming years, the government has started creating the conditions for Guyanese, particularly those persons within the low- and middle-income brackets, to have access to the necessity, which is adequate housing.

Since being elected to office in 2020, the Dr. Irfaan Ali’s government increased the low-income mortgage ceiling from $8 million to $15 million, increased the New Building Society Limited (NBS) loan ceiling from $12 million to $15 million, raised the ceiling on mortgage interest relief for housing loans from $15 million to $30 million, created a special facility to support landowners with getting their home construction going, removed the Value Added Tax (VAT) from a number of construction material, assisted homeowners with construction of septic tanks, and built a number of core homes.

The government has also introduced a steel and cement subsidy that allows Guyanese constructing homes to the tune of $6 million and below to benefit from 80 lengths of ½ inch steel rods, 60 lengths 3/8-inch steel rods, and one sling of cement, while builders with estimates of above $6 million-$25 million will benefit from two slings of cement.

Evidently, those measures make it simpler for persons in the low-income bracket to build a house that easily and adequately accommodates a nuclear family. Also, most of the pre-made houses have two bedrooms and are constructed on a sizeable land with ample yard space and room for further extension.

Although no engineering or economic skills are required to notice the potential that exists when someone owns a low-income home, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, instead of offering constructive criticisms and identifying gaps in the government’s developmental agenda, made an unfounded conclusion that those houses, which persons find great fulfilment in owning, are inadequate.

Norton even went as far as to say that the houses that are similar to the ones built under the APNU+AFC administration, are “chicken coops” and would expose children to “adult activities.”

This claim is not only miniscule in the context of national development, but it is also frivolous and demonstrates, in the words of Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, that Norton is indeed not ready for the big league.

The reality is that the PPP/C Government, which has allocated more housing solutions in two years than the APNU+AFC did in five, has afforded persons the opportunity to own their own homes, regardless of their income bracket, and have a foundation upon which they grow and advance in more ways than one.