– clearing backlog in 2026 drive
The Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to construct 40,000 new homes over the next five years and eliminate the long-standing backlog of housing applications across most regions, as part of a major expansion of the national housing drive outlined in Budget 2026.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, made the announcement during the presentation of the 2026 Budget in the National Assembly on Monday, describing housing as a central pillar of the administration’s “people-centred development agenda.”
Dr. Singh said the government’s immediate priority is to clear the existing backlog of housing applications in every region except Regions Three and Four, where demand remains exceptionally high due to rapid population growth and economic expansion.
“To meet this challenge, we will accelerate the development of new housing schemes and upgrade existing ones,” he said, noting that the new homes will be built primarily as turnkey units to meet the strong public preference for completed houses rather than just house lots.
The 40,000 homes, once completed, are expected to benefit 40,000 families across all income categories.
For 2026 alone, the government has allocated $159.1 billion for housing development. With these resources, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will continue infrastructure works in both new and existing housing areas and will allocate house lots to at least 15,000 households this year.
In addition, the government plans to distribute 8,000 house lots and issue at least 7,000 certificates of title, allowing thousands of families to receive legal ownership documents for their properties.
“Imagine presenting 7,000 Guyanese families with legal titles—transforming them into landowners and homeowners in their own right,” Dr. Singh told the Assembly.
The housing push builds on years of heavy state investment in residential infrastructure, including road networks, drainage, water supply, and electricity in areas such as Cummings Lodge, Prospect, Felicity, Great Diamond, Amelia’s Ward and other expanding communities.
To improve efficiency and reduce delays, the government has already introduced a single-window approval system for building applications and has digitised several previously manual processes within the housing sector.
Beyond the construction of homes, the 2026 programme places strong emphasis on improving the quality of life in existing communities.
An allocation of $8 billion has been made for community enhancement works, including: Construction of internal concrete roads in villages; Development of recreational facilities and green spaces; Installation of street lighting on major access roads and in high-traffic areas; and creation of designated mini-industrial zones to relocate noisy or polluting businesses away from residential neighbourhoods
These measures are aimed at modernising older housing schemes and addressing long-standing complaints about noise, congestion and environmental conditions in residential communities.
The housing expansion comes against the backdrop of Guyana’s rapid economic growth and population movement driven by major investments in oil and gas, infrastructure, and manufacturing, which have sharply increased demand for land and housing, particularly along the coast.
Since 2020, the government has pursued one of the largest public housing programmes in the country’s history, distributing tens of thousands of house lots and accelerating the shift toward turnkey home construction to make homeownership more accessible to low- and middle-income families.
Dr. Singh said the 2026 housing programme is not only about building houses, but about creating “better planned, more liveable communities” that support family life, economic opportunity, and long-term national development.
“This is about putting people first, not just giving them a roof, but giving them a community they can be proud to call home,” he said.
