MINISTER within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, has delivered a sharp critique of the opposition’s housing proposals, describing them as jokey and lacking in credibility when compared to the proven track record of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government.

Addressing recent housing-related comments made by the opposition on the ‘Starting Point’ podcast, Minister Rodrigues stated that the coalition’s record in office speaks for itself. “The plans of the opposition are laughable, because they had an opportunity not so long ago in government, and they broke all their promises. They did nothing to improve the housing sector, and they betrayed the trust of the Guyanese people, especially young people, especially women,” she said.

Against this backdrop, she highlighted what she described as a lack of priority placed on housing during the coalition’s tenure, noting, “The housing sector was not a priority for the APNU+AFC coalition government. There was no Ministry of Housing and Water. It came under the Ministry of Communities. So, it was clearly not a priority, because they relegated the ministry. You had a series of housing ministers that came and went, some only spent a few months.”

Contrasting that with what the PPP/C has accomplished, Rodrigues stated that the coalition during their time delivered only 7,000 house lots, while the current administration has surpassed its 50,000-house lot distribution target, of which 90 per cent went to low, moderate, and middle-income earners.

She also questioned the opposition’s credibility in proposing new housing solutions after their past failures. “You’re coming to us five years later and saying, I’ll do better… You suddenly have the better or more superior plan. But politics doesn’t work like that. Leadership doesn’t work like that. You have to earn people’s trust. You have to earn their confidence,” the minister said.

With this, she dismissed the opposition’s latest “rent-to-own” proposal, stating that it is financially unsustainable and inconsistent.

“Their plans keep changing by the way, which shows you that it is not a serious plan. They haven’t tested it. They don’t believe in the plan. They are throwing it out there and seeing the kind of reception it will get from the public,” she said.

“When they first announced their plans at their press conference, it wasn’t rent to own. It was subsidised rent… We attacked it immediately, and we said, why would you want to keep people renting? Our plan is to give people a title, give people home ownership, make them landowners.”

Meanwhile, Minister Rodrigues emphasised that the PPP/C’s approach focuses on empowerment through land and homeownership as opposed to the opposition’s short-sighted strategies.
“We don’t want to keep people in poverty. We want to free people. Give them financial freedom, give them empowerment, give them control over their own lives, give them an asset they can pass on to their children,” she said.

The housing minister further warned the public to remain wary of the empty promises of the opposition and noted that it is easy to say, but not practical to do.

“People have to be cautious of these nice sounding… sound bites that the opposition likes to dispense to the public… it’s not a serious plan,” she emphasised.