WORK has started on the construction of 190 low-income houses at plots 1,767 and 1,768 Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, following an inspection of the site on Wednesday, said that the foundation for the 20×30 elevated units is being laid, and construction is expected to be completed within four months.   Minister Croal, during his visit, was accompanied by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Sherwyn Greaves; Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Water, Andre Ally, and officials of the ministry’s community development and projects and enforcement departments.
Also on the visit, was a team from the Guyana Police Force, which comprised Senior Superintendent of Police, Calvin Brutus; Deputy Commissioner of Police (ag), Clifton Hicken and Commander of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Simon McBean.

“Only a few weeks ago, you would have seen we signed about $1.5 billion infrastructure works for these two areas. It would take you all the way to Aubrey Barker Road so it’s a massive development. “In the first phase, we are constructing about 190 elevated houses. Behind me you can see the commencement because at the contract signing too, we also signed the contract for the contractors to commence those houses,” Minister Croal told the Department of Public Information (DPI) following the inspection.

The infrastructural works, which include the construction of roads, bridges and drainage channels, will stretch from Cummings Lodge to Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt. And, due to this distance, Minister Croal said an area has been identified for a police outpost.
“It is intended it will be further, closer to the Aubrey Barker end because already, you have the Turkeyen Police Station from this end of Sophia so you can have security being placed from both sides,” the minister related. The construction of those houses form part of the 1,000 young professional and low-income housing units, which the ministry plans to build this year as part of CH&PA’s National Housing Development Programme.
Through this programme, units will be built at Cummings Lodge, Prospect, Providence, Little Diamond and Great Diamond in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Onderneeming and Wales in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Ordnance/Fortlands, Hampshire and Williamsburg in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Amelia’s Ward in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Last month, 51 contracts were signed to start the construction of 290 homes. Of that lot, 190 elevated, two-bedroom houses will be built in Cummings Lodge, while another 100 flat, two-bedroom units would be constructed at Prospect, East Bank of Demerara (EBD).