After years of waiting, Bartica residents receive land titles

Several residents of Bartica, Cuyuni- Mazaruni, (Region Seven), received their certificates of
titles for lands they have been occupying for many years on Monday.
The titled documents were handed over by Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, during a
Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) housing exercise, held at the Bartica
Community Centre ground. Luvina Jones, a widow who was allocated a land in Five Miles over
five years ago, will now be able to engage a financial institution to begin the construction of her
own home. Jones, who resides in Byderabo, a community on the outskirts of Bartica, was one of
the first persons to receive her titled document. “I was waiting a long while and now I get it. I
will try my best to do something on it. My husband passed away and I am extremely happy that I
did it on my own. So I’m thankful to the government and the ministry for this,” she was quoted
as saying.

Croal noted that Bartica currently has a backlog of some 800 housing applications in CHPA’s
system. Minister Croal noted that the ministry plans to roll out a massive housing initiative in
Bartica in 2022. He made thjis disclosure while providing an update on the government’s
national housing programme.
The minister stressed that efforts are ongoing to acquire lands for house lot allocations and the
construction of homes. “All that is delaying me is that I am awaiting the confirmation from the
Guyana lands and Surveys Commission for the land that will be provided for our housing
programme…and I could have gotten it already but where GLSC is giving me is a little further
out, so I am actually trying to see if I can get closer to Bartica for our house lot
allocations,” Croal explained.
The minister noted that while efforts are being made to acquire lands for housing development in
Bartica, the ministry is simultaneously working to ensure resources are available for
infrastructural works in the area.
The housing and water minister declared that the ministry has already advertised for tenders for
infrastructural development in approximately 20 new housing areas across the country. This, he
said will see thousands of citizens being able to take up residence in areas equipped with the
necessary infrastructure including; roads, bridges, drainage, electricity and street lights.
Additionally, Minister Croal said that efforts are underway to establish a regional housing office
in Bartica in 2022. He disclosed that the building will also house the Guyana Water
Incorporated’s (GWI) office to provide improved services to the residents of Bartica. Minister
Croal added that technical staff of the CH&PA were also on the ground addressing other issues
including new and existing housing applications and boundary issues.