THE Ministry of Housing convened a strategic meeting on Friday at its Brickdam headquarters with Regional Housing Officers from Regions Two, Three, Five, Six, Seven, Nine, and Ten, as part of efforts to strengthen housing delivery services across Guyana.

The session focused on enhancing regional operations to meet the country’s growing housing demands, while addressing staffing, training, and operational challenges.

During the engagement, senior officials underscored the importance of effectively executing the Government’s housing mandate and ensuring regional offices are adequately equipped with the human and technical resources needed to respond efficiently to the unique challenges within each area. It was also announced that a new housing office will soon be established in Region One, expanding services to residents in that hinterland community.

Minister within the Ministry, Vanessa Benn, reminded the officers that they serve as the frontline extension of the Ministry. She stressed that awareness, knowledge, and personal integrity are critical in building public trust and ensuring that services are delivered fairly and transparently.

Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Dr. Martin Pertab, emphasised efficiency in operations, noting that housing offices must go beyond allocations and household matters. He highlighted the urgent need for timely documentation to support banking and financing requests, and pointed to the Ministry’s digitalisation drive aimed at reducing delays and improving access to records.

Key issues discussed for improvement included expanding staff training, accelerating digitalisation to minimise paperwork delays, and improving communication channels between the central ministry and regional offices. Enhancing public awareness and information sharing to reduce misinformation and strengthen confidence in the housing system was also raised.

Friday’s meeting forms part of the Ministry’s wider effort to deliver quality, efficient, and transparent housing services across the country, while ensuring that regional offices are empowered to better serve their communities.