AS Caribbean nations, particularly those ravaged by hurricanes and volcanoes, look for low-income housing solutions for its citizens, Guyana has a great opportunity to tap into this seemingly lucrative market, as we have seen.

Prefabricated houses are becoming increasingly popular across the world due to their affordability and speed of construction.

Guyanese, however, are yet to fully embrace this trend. With the increasing cost of building materials, they may want to carefully consider this option.

Wouldn’t it make sense to have a durable structure constructed in half the time and at half the cost? When one takes other factors such as the amount of income and the size of one’s family into consideration, the best answer is yes.

That having been said, many have images in their minds of the house in which they want to live. However, not everyone can get what they want. The Government of Guyana is doing everything in its power to provide citizens with affordable housing. Mortgage rates have been reduced and the Ministry of Housing is overseeing the construction of houses of various sizes and styles to meet everyone’s pocket.

The provision of affordable houses is an issue facing many Caribbean governments.

The effects of this is often felt following a natural disaster. The people of Haiti, St Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas and Barbuda are among those who have been left with badly damaged houses or buildings in which they cannot live because they are structurally unsafe. It’s often a struggle to repair or rebuild.

The Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines recently inspected some of Guyana’s low-income houses and he clearly liked what he saw.

Arrangements are now being made for Guyanese manufacturer Duravilla, which specialises in prefabricated homes and hardwood products, to make and deliver 15 one, two and three-bedroom houses by the end of March. The houses will form part of the island’s rebuilding efforts after the 2021 volcanic eruption.

This is good news for Guyana because if all goes well, this can evolve into a lucrative business which could add to the positive reviews Guyana is already getting.

Already known for its vast resources including gold, diamond, rice, oil and agricultural products, Guyana can become the next big thing is “prefab” construction.

Dr Gonsalves said the houses were “elegant” and “reasonably priced.” He also brainstormed how the houses can be constructed to withstand a category four hurricane. What is more assuring is that he applauded the Guyana Government’s housing efforts.

Back in November, President, Dr Irfaan Ali, who is spearheading the government’s aggressive housing programme, had announced that the Guyana-made houses were in high demand.

In addition to the 1,000 ordered by Barbados, St Vincent and Grenadines said it was interested in procuring 100. Antigua and Barbuda and Trinidad and Tobago had also expressed interest in acquiring some of the houses.

One cannot help but assume that PM Gonsalves did not realise how great a buy it was until he saw it first-hand.

Other Caribbean leaders should follow suit and take a tour of our prefabricated houses. After all, they could be the solution to the region’s housing problems.