$300M to construct 40 houses at Amelia’s Ward, Linden

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will soon begin the construction of the first 40 elevated houses in Amelia’s Ward Phase Two, Linden, Region Ten.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal MP said the land has already been cleared for work to begin on the homes, which will cost some $300 million.

The initiative will deliver on a promise made by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali when he visited the region in January and announced that some 1,000 houses will be constructed there.

Minister Croal recently visited the area earmarked for the construction of the homes which he said will be allocated to mostly young professionals in the mining town.

The Minister was at the time attending the ‘Dream Realised’ housing initiative in Linden, which saw 400 persons receiving house lots in Amelia’s Ward Phase Four, and 144 land titles and transports distributed.

“The model is a similar model that we are using for the construction programme in the other regions and the allottees will come from here… the timeline for construction of the houses is within four months,” Minister Croal said.

Minister Croal explained that the ministry applies a hybrid system during the selection process for the houses.

“When you apply you indicate whether you have a preference for the land or housing programme. Secondly also assess your income because as part of your application process you have to provide your income and they can do a calculation.

Sometimes we find when a person is applying and they are of a certain bracket then its easier for them to prequalified for the banks so it’s a hybrid system that we apply.”

Between 2021 and 2022, the Government will expend at least $2.9 billion for infrastructural development in the mining town.

Already, some $6 million has been invested on the clearing and levelling of land for housing development in the Amelia’s Ward new housing area. Another $100 million has been set aside for 6 kilometres of asphaltic concrete roads, reinforced concrete curbs and walkways.

Another $1. 6 billion has been proposed for 2022, for additional infrastructural works including reinforced concrete roads, drains and culverts and pipe network in Amelia’s Ward.