Amelia’s Ward housing muddle being sorted

─new survey to be done by CH&PA-

─Cabinet to help resolve land ownership issues-

─2021 housing programme to address squatting-

A multifaceted approach is underway to iron out issues for one of Government’s largest housing development area in Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region Ten.

This came as Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal, made his first ministerial visit to Linden on Wednesday.

“There are some issues in a section of Amelia’s Ward about the numbering that has been done. We have to do a re-survey because I’m told that there are more than one plans that were used and every time it was utilised there was a different numbering system and there was confusion,” Minister Croal told DPI.

He added: “[T]hat is what has been preventing many persons who have been asking about an allocation that they have received but they cannot move forward; not even to receive an assurance letter so that they can even go to the bank.”

The Minister said this issue will be sorted soon by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to bring relief to the Lindeners.

He also noted that in another section of Amelia’s Ward some persons are without land titles for property that they have already paid for due to ownership issues. This is currently being sorted at the Cabinet level.

“The legal persons are preparing the necessary documents so that we can have approval, first of all through Cabinet and then once we get that [then] approval from Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and we can move forward after that to have the necessary alignment done properly,” said the Housing Minister.

He added that a rectification process will be also be done concerning the description of titles for Amelia’s Ward.

Meanwhile, squatters were discovered on a plot of land under the CH&PA purview in Amelia’s Ward. Minister Croal said there was no reason for squatting in Linden.

He revealed that a new housing development plan for 2021 is currently being fast-tracked to identify lands and this is expected to bring some amount of relief to the squatting situation.

“There have been a number of acres that have been identified for possible housing development, as well as land allocation, for which the surveying team will come back to do their necessary preparatory work,” he said.

Minister Croal along with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Mr. Sherwyn Greaves, also visited the regional office upon the invitation of the Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman.

“Quite frankly, what I’ve found is that there is a disconnect flowing between the central office in Georgetown and the regional offices,” the Minister conveyed.

He said that simple requests such as surveying are been met with shortcomings at the regional offices.  Minister Croal said he plans to strengthen all regional offices across the country as part of plans for a comprehensive housing programme.