– says Housing Minister

AFFORDABILITY is one of the prominent components of the government’s aggressive housing distributions, however, with the increase in demand there is also an increase in supply.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said that although the ministry is looking to employ more persons because of the rapid transformation occurring along the East Coast of Demerara, reliability remains a constant issue.

According to the Housing Minister, during a visit to the La Bonne Intention (LBI) housing scheme, where over 280 young professional houses are being built, while many might link the labour shortage to lack of creation, this is untrue.

He said that he has frequently received complaints from supervisors, beneficiaries and home-owners about workers who have failed to do their job properly.

The minister related: “… So, we have a demand for the houses, but you cannot reciprocate in terms of the supply.”

“The President has been very clear in setting the policy… and the prices of the houses must remain as it is despite what you see happening around or externally. And that is to be able to be affordable to the different category of the applicants,” Croal said.

Moreover, he disclosed that his Ministry was working on quality control and hence why there has been some restructuring in the project department, among other areas.

“So we’ve had more strengthening under the housing focus in terms of the overall monitoring,” the Minister said.

While stating that when the workers encounter challenges, the Ministry does its best to work along with them and overcome the hurdles, Croal remarked they are persons who do not want to work and hence the Ministry has ‘weeded’ out those individuals.

The Minister pleaded: “So I’m asking the beneficiary or the homeowners who have been assigned for patience, tolerance, we know that you’ve be waiting long and we want to get it out over a system too,” adding: “For us when we finish a project is to move on to another project.”

Speaking with contractor, Navin Persaud, who has been working on the LBI site for approximately three months, he underscored that progress for the completion of the young professional houses have been going smoothly.

In terms of labour shortage, the contractor, who is attached to BM Property Investment, said that his team is not having any troubles and, more so, they are comfortable and are working according to the plans given.

To date, according to the Minister, the new LBI housing scheme caters for approximately 327 houses, with 287 already being allocated.

With elevated houses being more in demand, he also disclosed that there were 119 elevated houses built and 19 flat houses.

More so, last week, with the employment of new contractors, the Minister noted that this has aided them in allocating another 77 elevated houses.

Speaking on the development occurring in LBI, Croal stated: “Now LBI will be one of the most prime housing schemes that you will find.”

With the rapid development taking place in and around LBI, Croal stated that soon it will be, what he perceives a little “town,” owing to the fact that commercial facilities will also be built such as malls and hotels.

Over 1,500 homes are now under construction as part of the government’s turn-key project in areas such as LBI, Providence, Prospect, Great Diamond, Cummings Lodge, Hampshire/Williamsburg, Ordnance/Fortlands, and Amelia’s Ward.