–as gov’t moves to complete work at ‘prime location’ for sustainable housing

A seventeen-acre plot of land has been identified for the development of 85 to 90 house lots in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), and within six months, works will be completed to facilitate the massive housing project.
During a site visit on Monday, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, outlined a visionary plan to transform the area into a sustainable housing project.

“One of the things that we’re going to do in this development, is that we’re going to try to keep all the big trees. You have big mango trees, fruit trees and other big trees. So the design layout, we’re going to try to keep all the trees, so you will see when they come in this area,” the Head of State said.
He stressed that there will be a ‘special effort’ to ensure all trees remain standing as it is a vital part of the sustainable housing ecosystem the government is aiming to construct in the region.
The project is part of a broader effort to provide affordable housing, with $1.5 billion already invested in the region.

According to Minister Croal, there has been a need for housing development in the region; however, the government has had challenges to acquire land, but has been actively engaging with owners of private lands.
“The land is very much scarce in the Mabaruma sub region, and even for government facilities, sometimes we have to acquire from the private persons,” Croal said.
Despite the setbacks, he said that the design for the housing project has already commenced and it is anticipated that opportunities will be abound in the area.

The minister said: “Mabaruma itself is growing…we have a lot of persons too, who were looking for occupancy, as they outgrown where they are in the region. This is very much a prime location.”
In a preliminary block plan, officials have already completed the design layout.

“This is a beautiful example to show you how we start, and in six months, we’ll be back here so that we can demonstrate to you how development takes place,” President Ali added.
The project is expected to progress significantly within six months, with community engagement and ecological considerations being key elements.
The Head of State noted that the government will continue to work in acquiring lands in the region.

“So far, in this region, [we] spent $1.5 billion on housing and housing infrastructure alone. So, this will add to that investment. But as I said, in this sub-region alone, based on the existing demands, we are going to continue to look for additional lands that we can have the complete demand satisfied,” Croal said.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman, Mr. Brentnol Ashley, highlighted that already investments have been made to enhance infrastructure, such as electricity and water systems, and will continue to expand to meet housing demands.