-Dr Jagdeo highlights
EMPOWERING citizens with the opportunity of owning a house is the target that was set out and achieved by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C); from 2020 to now, approximately $200 billion has been spent to develop the infrastructure for the housing sector.
This is according to the governing party’s General Secretary, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who, on Thursday, last responded to the criticisms peddled by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Annette Ferguson.

According to Jagdeo, evidence shows how much the housing sector has blossomed under this current government compared to the former APNU+AFC administration.
“So, in our manifesto, we said we want to, in five years do 50,000 house lots. We have completed 33,000 of those, and they’re now awarding contracts to complete probably another 7,000 or so, hopefully before the end of the year. So, we are on track.

We have allocated from 2020 to 2024, about $200 billion for housing development…to put in the infrastructure,” he said.
While explaining that some of these housing developments are consumed in vegetation, Jagdeo boasted that the government has invested in building proper roads, culverts and ensuring that the key amenities are present such as water and electricity.

He then shared the complete breakdown of how much is being injected to prepare one house lot. “So, if you take $200 billion and you divide by about 40,000 households, it works out on average, about $5 million to prepare one house lot,” he noted.
The government, in its effort to ensure that homeownership is possible for all Guyanese, is selling that house lot at the low-income end for $92,000, to $200,000.

While many are mesmerised by the “oil money” and have been calling for free house lots, Jagdeo explained that this is not viable as other sectors need to be developed too.
“We built about 3,000 community roads, highways, hospitals, schools, etc,” he stated.
A total of 30,406 house lots were distributed within three years since PPP/C Government assumed office, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal said earlier this year.

For 2023, there were 8,578 residential lots allocated. These revelations were disclosed at the ministry’s end-of-year news conference. Out of the 30,406 house lots allocated, 28,368 of them were residential.
According to the Housing Minister, youths and women made up a significant portion of the allottees. In fact, it was recorded that 53.3 per cent were youths. That is, 15,119 of the allottees were 35 years old or younger.

Additionally, over the last three years, there was a consistent 40 per cent allocation to women only; however, for 2023, this percentage soared to around 43 per cent. Moreover, approximately 90 per cent of allottees were between low to moderate income.
As the government continues to pursue its promise of providing affordable housing for all, the minister remarked that there are ongoing works to establish housing areas in Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine and 10.
Notably, in 2023, some 7,128 were distributed in Region Four. For 2023, another 1,079 lots were allocated in Region Three, 125 in Region Five, and 192 in Region Six.