18 areas earmarked for new housing developments

The government has revealed a comprehensive strategy aimed at further reducing the backlog of house lots within the Ministry of Housing and Water’s database.

The Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues announced that eighteen (18) areas have already been earmarked for new housing developments.

She was at the time speaking at an outreach at the Linden Foundation Secondary School, Region Ten, on Wednesday.

“In these 18 areas, it will yield over 24,000 lots, which means that everybody from the backlog up to 2019 will be addressed in our first term in office,” Minister Rodrigues said.

As part of its manifesto, the PPP/C Administration promised to deliver 50,000 house lots by the end of its first term in office.

Although over 30,000 lots have been allocated so far, Minister Rodrigues highlighted that a backlog still exists.

Region Five alone has 2,852 pending applications for residential house lots, and Region Four has about 38,000 pending applicants.

“We have about 23,000 people from that period up to 2019. And we still have 20,000 allocations to make in our first term in keeping with the promise that we made,” she clarified.

The minister highlighted a range of initiatives implemented to ensure citizens have access to affordable housing opportunities.

These include investments in infrastructure, land acquisition for housing purposes, the removal of taxes on construction materials, and the provision of subsidies to assist individuals in commencing construction on their homes.

She therefore urged citizens to take advantage of the initiatives implemented to aid in the construction of their homes.

Meanwhile, Minister Rodrigues emphasised that individuals must adhere to the application process, and the allocation will be conducted within the framework of an ‘organized and sustainable housing development’ strategy.

Addressing the issue of squatting, she highlighted that new squatting areas will not be recognised.

“So, if you know of anyone who is even thinking about squatting, discourage them from doing it… It has too many challenges. It will delay the process even further. All of the people who have housing needs in this region and all the regions will be addressed,” Minister Rodrigues reiterated.

The government has allocated $75 billion in its 2024 budget to continue with its housing programme. Some 10,000 house lots are scheduled to be distributed this year.