Building Expo to see 5,000 house lots being distributed

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) took its flagship ‘Dream Realised’ exercise to the International Building Expo 2022, which will see more than 5,000 people receiving house lots.

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal explained that those persons are receiving their house lots in areas including Plantation Great Diamond and Grove-Diamond, Meten – meer – Zorg, Stewartville, Non – Pariel and Enterprise.      It was noted that one thousand (1,000) people will also be receiving their Certificates of Titles and Transports during the three-day activity at the National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Croal stressed that these persons were able to identify their lots recently in housing developments in Regions Three and Four. He said that they are now in receipt of the ownership documents that will allow them to access financing to begin constructing their homes. “So, we started last evening (Friday), and we went very late, and we will continue today and tomorrow to ensure those persons who were contacted receive their house lots or titles,” he said in an interview.

Beneficiaries satisfied 

Meanwhile, several allottees expressed in an interview their pleasure for receiving their house lots, which will see them realising their dreams of homeownership. Seon Allicock, a youth hailing from Buxton, East Coast Demerara, praised the government’s housing drive which has allowed him to own a piece of land after years of waiting.

“I am very happy that Dream Realise has come through for me…I want to thank the Ministry of Housing for the work they have done…and also the government, let them continue doing the good work so that every Guyanese can have a land in their homeland,” Allicock said. Another young Buxtonian, Mackaida Simon described the government’s housing proogramme as ‘perfect’, noting that it allows young people like herself to achieve home ownership.

Simon is encouraging other youths to make full use of the opportunities that are being offered to them. “Young people should start engaging the government…it worked for me, so I think it will work for them,” Simon said. Meanwhile, after 12 years, Simone Williams, a single parent is now the recipient of a low-income house lot. She plans to apply to the Home Construction Assistance programme through CH&PA to construct her home.

“It’s happy to be here standing, and having something you call your own instead of renting,” Williams said.   It was revealed that the home construction assistance programme seeks to accelerate the government’s housing drive, while also addressing challenges faced by families who have acquired government or private lands, but are unable to build their homes, due to inaccessibility to financing, and issues with contractors.

It was noted that the distribution of the 5,000 house lots at Building Expo, will add to the close to 12,000 already distributed, making it over 17,000 since the Government took office in August 2020. Croal stressed that the intention is to distribute 22,000 lots to Guyanese by the end of 2022. The minister added that this will bring the government closer to achieving its goal of distributing 50,000 house lots by the end of the year 2025.