THREE families in Haslington are celebrating a new chapter in their lives after receiving the keys to their brand-new homes under the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Core Home Support initiative, part of the broader Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP).

The keys and electrical certificates were officially handed over on Wednesday, during a brief ceremony, by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, at the Ministry’s headquarters. Also present were Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Director of Operations, Mrs. Denise King-Tudor, and Deputy Director of Community Development, Mrs. Donell Bess-Bascom.
The Core Home Support initiative is being executed in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and aims to improve the living conditions of low-income households. Each home is valued between $5 million and $6.5 million and features two bedrooms, a kitchen, and indoor sanitary facilities. Beneficiaries are required to contribute just GYD $100,000 toward the construction, making homeownership significantly more accessible.

Among the new homeowners is Ms. Maylene O’Dell, who shared her deep sense of relief at no longer having to pay monthly rent.
“I am so happy that I got this key, that I would be able to go into my new home,” Ms. O’Dell said with joy. “It will help us in a lot of ways because we used to pay a rent of $30,000 a month, so [now] we get our own house, that money [will] go to something else.”

Another beneficiary, Ms. Evette Abrams, echoed similar sentiments. Though she had owned a plot of land for years, financial hardships had prevented her from building. She credited the programme for giving her the breakthrough she desperately needed.

The AHUAP’s Component 1.1: Affordable and Sustainable Housing, encompasses both the Core Home construction initiative and Home Improvement Subsidies—ranging between $500,000 and $750,000—to assist families with critical home repairs through the provision of materials.

In total, the programme targets the construction of approximately 300 Core Homes and the disbursement of 916 Home Improvement Subsidies. Beneficiary selection for the programme has been completed, and applications are now closed.

Geographically, AHUAP spans communities from Georgetown to Grove on the East Bank Demerara, up to Hope on the East Coast Demerara, and various areas on the West Bank Demerara including Westminster, Onderneeming, Recht-Door-Zee, Lust en Rust, and Parfaite Harmonie Phase II.

On the East Coast Demerara alone, an estimated $243.25 million has already been invested toward the construction of 25 Core Homes and the distribution of 148 Home Improvement Subsidies—offering hundreds of families hope, dignity, and the security of a place to call home.