ON Friday last, 400 families were allocated house lots in Vriesland and Laurentia Catherina, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
The families participated in a site visit and virtual tour of the developing housing schemes with Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues and technical staff of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

According to the ministry, these areas are part of the expansive Wales Housing Development in that region, which is already undergoing major infrastructural transformation.
The tour provided allottees with a first-hand look at the ongoing works and updates on the progress being made toward the establishment of their future communities.
The housing schemes are being designed by CH&PA with long-term sustainability in mind. They include designated zones for commercial activity, recreational areas, green spaces, and essential public services such as schools, health centres, police outposts, and fire stations.

Minister Rodrigues encouraged the families to start planning their home construction and to take advantage of the ministry’s Steel and Cement Housing Subsidy Programme, which offers support for starting the foundation. The minister also urged those seeking mortgage financing to engage financial institutions early.

In keeping with the ministry’s commitment to transparency and public engagement, allottees had the opportunity to ask questions and receive direct responses from Minister Rodrigues during the tour.
Now that families know the location of their land, Minister Rodrigues used the opportunity to encourage them to visit the areas at their convenience to stay updated on the progress of development.
Sharing their excitement, three allottees reacted to this opportunity last week.

With her land identified in Laurentia Catherina Phase One, Nikita Mohabir who applied for a house lot in 2017, said it means a lot to her, and her child to have this. She noted that she received a call from the ministry last year. She commended the ministry for its fast work in allocating her a house lot.

Meanwhile, another Laurentia Catherina Phase One allottee, Ahmad Sultan Kharim expressed, “I feel so proud.” He added that he truly appreciates the work done by the government to ensure Guyanese are allotted land for housing purposes.
Clarence Stewart, another allottee, said that he felt “overjoyed”.

Stewart pointed out that now is the time for him to start accumulating building materials, as, according to him, rent is not something that is “easy”.
The Wales Housing Development is divided into four sections: Laurentia Catherina, Vriesland, Lorenzo, and Vive La Force, and each has different blocks or phases.

The ministry stated that a total of $10.4 billion has been allocated for initial infrastructure works at Phase I and II of the abovementioned areas. Allottees of the section the minister visited received their lands in 2024 and 2025.
In April 2025, contracts were awarded for Vriesland and Laurentia Catherina, which have a total of about 1,300 residential lots. The works were awarded to 14 contractors, with completion scheduled for November 2025