500 house lots for new Region Nine housing scheme

THE CENTRAL HOUSING AND PLANNING AUTHORITY (CH&PA) WILL
DISTRIBUTE 500 HOUSE LOTS NEXT MONTH FOR A NEW HOUSING SCHEME in
Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) according Housing and Water Minister, Collin
Croal.
The scheme will be built in Pork Bridge, some six miles from Lethem, the capital city of the
visually attractive interior community, geographically next door to hemispheric economic
powerhouse, Brazil.
“We already have the design so it will form part of our 2022 budgetary programme that is for the
infrastructure work. We are looking to spend probably over $1B on that new housing area” for
Lethem and residents in far-flung communities willing to relocate to the Region Nine centre,
Minister Croal said.
He said that 10 villages in the region will benefit from the recommencement of the ministry’s
Sustainable Housing for the Hinterland Programme.
“We will have a hybrid method and we are expecting to commence works for the construction or
completion of 100 houses here in Region Nine and I am talking in the various villages. We will
have a spread and so we will have two villages for every subdistrict…in this first phase in the
recommencement of the hinterland programme,” the minister said.
He said adaptability will play a significant role in the programme because of existing challenges
getting building materials for such an ambitious housing project. The CH&PA plans replicating
the dream of building 500 homes in Barima/Waini (Regions One); Cuyuni/Mazaruni (Region
Seven); and in Potaro/Siparuni (Region Eight) and in other communities on the country’s coastal
land.

The housing ministry has so far allocated more than 7,000 house lots since August last year
2020.
While in Region Nine, Croal addressed concerns regarding the turn-key housing initiatives
offered on the coast.
“They (the beneficiaries) come from our system but they bear the cost. We have them prequalify
with the banks which they pay as part of the mortgage system…we are merely facilitating the
process for the construction of houses to help in employment and to fast track in occupancy
within housing schemes since everyone does not have the time to build,” he explained.
However, the turn-key arrangement will be different for hinterland residents, Croal said.