200 landowners identify house lots at Stewartsville Housing Scheme

The first 200 landowners at Stewartsville Housing Scheme (East) in Region Three will begin constructing their homes following a lot identification exercise led by Collin Croal, Minister of Housing and Water on Friday.

The exercise marks a significant milestone for the landowners, many of whom have waited for years to own their land.

One of the landowners, Indarjeet Mangal, expressed his joy at finally owning land after years of renting.

“It will impact our lives because for many years we get our own land,” Mangal said.

Another landowner, Vena Arjon, was overwhelmed with emotions when she received the call to identify her house lot. “I don’t have words to explain it. I’m feeling different emotions. It was really nice,” she said.

Arjon, who applied for her land in 2020, noted that her family is excited to move out of their rented home and begin building their own house.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal said that infrastructural works are ongoing in the housing scheme’s first phase and that this will ensure allottees have access to their lands, roadways, and drainage systems.

“We have fully allocated [lots] in Stewartsville. The combination between Stewartsville East and West is over 2,100 allocations that were done,” he emphasised.

Residents can access the housing area via the concrete strip road in Leonora or the newly completed concrete bridge in Stewartsville.

Minister Croal said that the ministry’s Survey Unit will continue the lot identification process as lands become available. He explained that two more lots in Stewartsville East are expected to become available within the next three weeks.

The remaining lot in Stewartsville West is scheduled for completion by the end of October.

The development forms part of the $7.7 billion infrastructure project currently underway at the new Stewartville Housing Scheme.

In April, Minister Croal met with the fourteen contractors who are carrying out works in the nineteen lots on East and West Stewartville.

The contractors were urged to expedite their respective contracts, as hundreds of Guyanese are eagerly waiting to start building their homes.

The ongoing works include the installation of a network of pipes, drainage infrastructure, and the construction of culverts, access roads, and bridges.