CH&PA to upgrade existing housing areas in 2019

– schemes in East/West Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara and Georgetown targetted 

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, October 30, 2018

As the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) moves forward with its Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme, developmental works for existing housing areas are expected to commence within the first quarter of 2019.

This was disclosed by Director of Projects, CH&PA, Omar Narine, during a press conference held today at the agency’s boardroom.

Narine explained that the infrastructure aspect of the project will target CH&PA’s low-income housing areas that have been established but are not fully developed for occupancy.

Areas such as Sophia (A, B, C, D and Cummings Park) to La Bonne Intention (LBI), Eccles, Providence, Peter’s Hall, Barnwell, Moca, Farm, Coven Garden, Herstelling and Grove on East Bank Demerara (E.B.D) including communities within West Bank Demerara (W.B.D) have been selected for upgrades, the Director of Projects said.

CH&PA is “planning to upgrade 34km of asphalt roads, 20km of drainage improvement which includes the construction of concrete drains that is deemed necessary, eight km of sidewalk with the combination of reinforced concrete and pavement stone, the installation of 10 km solar integrated streetlights and the construction of eight recreational centres,” Narine outlined.

Earlier this year, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan expressed the government’s concern regarding the many house lots that have remained vacant over the years. This led to CH&PA’s decision to construct units within areas that have finished infrastructure that would allow for immediate occupancy.

Statistics reveal that between the years 2000 and 2015, of the approximately 66,000, allocations, 28,000 or 45 per cent of lots remain unoccupied. Minister Bulkan said up to the close of the 10th Parliament between 2011 to the mid-2015 period, some 38 schemes were developed across Guyana.

Those housing schemes yielded 20,000 house lots, however, only 4,000 of those have seen units being constructed. For the 38 schemes, a total of $12.8Billion was pumped into their development. They now require a further $16Billion to complete infrastructure works.

Narine stressed that the agency’s pre-criteria for the programme has been approved by IDB and the Ministry of Finance can now attract contractors. “IDB has granted their no objection for the procurement process to be launched within a week. This process will invite local, international and national contractors through an international bidding process… to be engaged in a competitive bidding process,” he explained. An advertisement will soon be made available on the United Nation’s website among other media resources.

The Director of Projects also urged the private sector to prepare to meet the demand of the project as the provision of construction materials is key towards the initiative’s success.

Sophia will be the first area where the developmental upgrades will begin next year, once a comprehensive intervention is concluded. 

Neola Damon.

Image by Department of Public Information.