— over 3,800 houses under construction, 60,000 applications pending

IN what is set to become the Ministry of Housing and Water’s most ambitious year yet, Minister Collin Croal has announced that this year will see the highest volume of housing allocations in Guyana’s history, as the Government ramps up efforts to clear the country’s growing housing backlog.

Speaking during a recent interview on The Guyana Dialogue, Minister Croal revealed that the Ministry is intensifying its work across all administrative regions with the exception of Region Four to resolve pending housing applications by the end of this year.
“We’re looking to clear as of December 31st, 2024. That’s our target to clear for allocations. And so we’re working assiduously to have this achieved,” he stated.
According to the Minister, Region Four continues to bear the largest housing demand, with over 40,000 applicants still awaiting allocation.

“We have allocated, since we’re in office…about 28,000 were allocated in Region Four, so you’ll understand majority were allocated there,” Minister Croal said.
Nationally, there are approximately 60,000 pending housing applications.

This represents a significant increase from 2020, when the Government took office and inherited a backlog of 17,000. The Minister attributed the growing interest in Government housing to the success stories shared by beneficiaries.
As of right now, the Ministry has a number of houses that are being constructed in various regions and at various stages.
In addition to land allocations, Minister Croal reported that between 3,800 and 3,900 Government-built homes are currently under construction in various regions and at various stages of completion.
Of those, 2,200 houses have already been completed and handed over to families.

“We have handed over or completed about 2,200 of those. We’ve handed over, meaning persons have received their key and they’re living in their house. And as I said, it’s various categories in various regions. Region Four will have the largest volume,” the Minister stated.
Special attention is also being placed on young professionals, with 1,500 houses already awarded and under active construction to meet demand in that category.
He pointed out as well that there has been a lot of interest in young professional houses.

According to the Minister, “the reality is we’ve been keeping the costs at minimum. So hence, in terms of contractors involvement would not be that voluminous. But we have been able to respond and help in this niche.
“So, I would say as I speak, we will have about 1,500 houses in progress at various stages for completion, meaning already awarded and already under construction… .”
The announcement comes on the heels of the Ministry’s 60th ‘Dream Realised’ housing drive, launched in April in Region Four, a continuing effort to provide accessible housing to thousands of Guyanese.
At the time, Minister Croal underscored the diversity of the housing drive and noted that Government works daily to ensure that it can create strategies and policies to be able to do more; to pass it on to Guyanese.