THIRTEEN residents of Sophia on Wednesday benefitted from the Ministry of Housing and Water, Central Housing and Planning Authority, Core Homes in ‘D’ Field, Sophia.
The ministry, through the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), handed over core homes to the residents in what can be described as an informal-formal ceremony.

The AHAUP programme aims to improve the quality of life of Guyanese in urban and peri-urban Georgetown. This will be done through the provision of better access to adequate housing and basic infrastructure for low-income populations, as well as through improved accessibility and mobility services.

This programme was started in December 2017, and will conclude in June 2024. There have been 80 beneficiaries, all selected from Sophia. Of that, 35 core homes have been built so far, with 21 core homes handed over to beneficiaries, 14 of these homes are already occupied, while another 14 are currently under construction, and 31 of the core homes are at the procurement stage.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Susan Rodrigues, said that materials are given to beneficiaries for the construction of their homes. The minister said that the programme is an important one that will help those who need it. She stated that some of these beneficiaries were able to aid in the construction of their homes, which in the end helped the process along.

Additionally, she said that doing so is an important part of the construction phase, because it gives a sense of ownership of their homes at the end of it.
The core homes constructed are two-bedroom, concrete structures, completed with electrical wiring, plumbing, painted interiors and exteriors, kitchen and a toilet and bath. The beneficiaries, in addition to receiving the keys to their homes also collected a termite and treatment plan valid for five years, and a certificate of inspection, or electrical certificate, which is valid for the next 10 years.