Guyana’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) of the housing ministry on Monday continued its housing drive with its second One Stop Shop for the year held in the ministry’s Brickdam compound. Some 85 applicants pulled their lot numbers for plots situated at Zeelugt, Phase 2, East Bank Essequibo.
The 2013 one stop shops are conducted under the theme: “Live the Guyanese dream, home ownership made easier”. Applicants select their house lots, make their payment, and are issued with their allocation letter. At the end of this process, they can have their Agreement of Sale made out and make arrangements to access funds for building their homes.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, before getting underway with the processing of allocations, Housing Minister Irfaan Ali explained that the previous focus was to consolidate the existing infrastructure in the housing areas to encourage occupancy.
Major challenge
He noted that as a result, many housing schemes have seen rapid response to building and construction.
However, the major challenge of electricity supply has seen close collaboration between the Guyana Power and Light Company and the housing ministry to fast track this aspect. Monday’s One Stop Shop saw the processing of applications made up to, and including 2006.
Government invested Gy$90.5 million in infrastructure to ensure that the lots are available to benefit 383 persons.
Ali reported that the entire infrastructure has been completed with the exception of electricity, which will be completed early next year, at a cost of Gy$5.160 million.
The total investment will be Gy$95.7 million with an average of Gy$1.75 million per household. Total revenue expected to be garnered by government is Gy$25.5 million, which means that government’s subsidy is Gy$70.2 million or 73.35 per cent.
Ali said too that this displays government’s commitment to providing housing to every segment of society, notwithstanding the difficult political environment that exists in the country. There are plans for a further eight One Stop Shops before the end of the year, to distribute 6000 new house lots. In September, there will be one for Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast, while in October, such an exercise will be held for Zeelugt, Phase 3, Lust-en-Rust and Kilcoy/Chesney.
In November, more than 1000 lots will be distributed at the Guyana National Stadium for the Covent Garden Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.
Three One Stop Shops planned for December will see lots distributed at De Willem and Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara and Providence Phase 3, and Farm Phase 3, East Bank Demerara. The housing sector has already expended Gy$649.6 million on infrastructural works, which contributed significantly to the development of 2254 new house lots. The ministry distributed 636 house lots, processed 1540 titles and constructed 48 turnkey houses for young professionals.
