Another 1,500 house lots to be allocated in Region Six

The government has announced that a minimum of 1,500 house lots will be allocated in new housing areas across the East Berbice-Corentyne region over the next two days.

The new allocation will add to the 2,315 house lots already allocated since the PPP/C government took the helm of the nation in 2020.

At another ‘Dream Realised’ housing drive in the ancient county on Friday, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal reminded residents that all pending applications from December 31, 2024, and prior will be addressed this year.

“We are only starting another round today [and] more lands are continually being allocated…By the end of May, we will be back to allocate another set of lots for the new area in Overwinning,” Minister Croal announced at State House in New Amsterdam.

A total of 173 persons will also uplift their certificates of title over the next two days.

These persons will now have legal ownership of their lands in Glasgow, Ordinance Fortlands, Plantation Mount Sinai, Williamsburg and Bloomfield, among other areas.

The minister disclosed that almost 1000 certificates of title have been processed for residents in the region to date.

Persons will also receive steel and cement vouchers totalling $5 million altogether. This is another programme by the government to address home ownership. Over $46 million has been invested in the programme for Region Six.

Minister Coral said some $16.3 billion has been injected to complete the first phase of infrastructure works for housing areas like Number 75 and 76 Villages, Palmyra, Moleson Creek and Hogstye. The move was to ensure people access their lands.

“We have committed and we are responding. There is no need to get anxiety, there is no need to worry, because we will work every day for all ten regions to address housing matters,” the housing minister added.

The government is also working to regualrise several areas in the region, including Belvedere North along the Corentyne coast.

The minister explained that these same lands that are being allocated were available under the previous APNU+AFC administration, but because of its lack of vision, no allocations were made.

He provided statistics to back his statement, noting that only a mere 1,100 lots were allocated in Region Six by the coalition during its entire tenure in office.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, said the government has exceeded 45,000 allocations in the past four and a half years.

“That is not counting in the lots that we have regularised, lots for commercial and industrial purposes, and religious institutions…The fact that we have already surpassed this 45,000 will tell you that we will achieve our 50,000 and we will surpass that,” Minister Rodrigues explained.

She also noted that these housing drives aim to help citizens establish new standards for their families and ensure brighter futures.

“You may be the first person in your family that will own a piece of land. And so, you are going to change the trajectory of your family and your future generations,” she stated.