‘Mrs. Job’ among 1,000 allottees at Plantation La Reconnaissance

CENTRAL HOUSING AND PLANNING AUTHORITY (CH&PA) FRIDAY
DISTRIBUTED 1,000 LOW-INCOME LOTS at Plantation La Reconnaissance, East Coast
Demerara, as part of the government’s five-year ‘Dream Realised’ housing drive.
Some of the new land owners waited more than a decade to get their G$200,000 (US$1,000) plot
of land
Patrick Stark was one of them.

“This is one of the most important things for me and my family in Guyana. We applied since
2010 and was back and forth, back and forth. Sometimes you think like you wouldn’t get it. We
went and look for private land and you will get some (prices) at five, six, seven million dollars
and…the land is like a small jungle…and today is a dream (come true) that’s what I have
realised. and I can’t thank them more for what they did for me,” Stark exclaimed.
A woman, only known as Ms. Benjamin, had the patience of the Biblical Job.
Benjamin waited 20 years for a positive response from the government for her spot.
“I’m feeling good, elated …It is very important, because I’m in my 40s now. I have a child and
it’s time that I started developing my skills myself so that my child can inherit,” Benjamin said.
For Johnnell Henery, finally receiving her house lot is life-changing.
“It’s the start of a new life! It means the end of paying rent, the beginning of ownership. Now,
you have something that is more of an asset… it’s a way of building your future not only for
myself but for my son,” a relieved Henery offered.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said Friday’s distribution is in keeping with the
promise of President Irfaan Ali to allocate 50,000 house lots in his five-year tenure.

“At the end today’s distribution, some 2,000 house lots would have been distributed so far for
the year. There was an earlier allocation of 1,000 lots at Plantation Golden Grove, East Bank
Demerara,” Minister Croal reminded.
The Government has a solid housing agenda for the remaining of the year, Croal said.
“We are on track in keeping to our commitment of 50,000 over this first five years and is
expected by the end of 2021, from now, to the end of the year, we are targeting another 7,000
allocations. It would be remiss of me, if I do not also use this opportunity to bring awareness to
the more than 6,500 allottees that we have allocated in just over one year,” minister Croal said.
Minister, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues emphasised that
the government’s land distribution programme is without bias.
The Government plans spending some $2.75B to develop Plantation La Reconnaissance. A
primary school, one police station, and a bus park are among infrastructural schemes slated for
the new housing location. There will also be five places of worship and a market among other
amenities.
There were 403 land titles and transports distributed at Friday’s exercise CH&PA said.