Govt allocates 9,612 house lots in 2023, surpassing 30,000 in 3 years

─ Women, youth accounts for majority allocations

A total of 9,612 lots was allocated by the government in 2023, comprising 8,578 residential lots, 181 residential-commercial lots, and 860 lots through its regularisation programme.

This was according t0 Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal at a press briefing on Wednesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

Minister Croal reported that Region Four led the way with 7,118 allocated lots, followed by Region Three with 1,079 lots, Region Five, 125 lots, and Region Six, 192 lots.

This achievement, Minister Croal stated, brings the total number of lots allocated over the last three years to 30,466.

He highlighted that the ministry’s flagship programme, ‘Dream Realized,’ facilitated the allocation of 28,368 residential house lots. Additionally, 659 commercial and industrial lots, along with 1,445 regularisation lots, contributed to the achievement.

Minister within the Ministry, Susan Rodrigues highlighted that over the last three years, there has been a consistent 40% allocation of house lots exclusively to women.

When examined by income, low, moderate, and middle-income earners accounted for 90% of the total allocation.

“That is in keeping with the objective of the housing programme, that is to ensure that affordable housing is provided to all Guyanese,” she affirmed.

Minister Croal also provided additional data indicating that youth were significant beneficiaries with individuals aged 35 years and under receiving 15,119 house lots. This constitutes 53.3 percent of all allottees.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal informed the public that the ministry continues to see additional lands to meet the needs in other areas.

In Region One, 17 acres of land were identified for development in Mabaruma, while a survey is underway in an identified housing area at Oronoque, Port Kaituma.

Two areas were also developed in Charity, Region Two, and an area was identified in Region Seven, between the Five to Seven Miles, for house lot and home construction. Minister Croal also said that challenges in Region Eight related to land acquisition is also being addressed.

In Region 9, a new area was developed at Poke Bridge, with house lots distributed to residents. Region 10 is seeing continued progress with the development of a new area at Plantation York.

“We have been targeting 2019 [applications] and prior, that is our target now,” Minister Croal emphasised.

Minister Croal highlighted the daunting task faced by the government upon assuming office in August 2020, with a backlog of 75,509 housing applications.

Despite delivering over 30,000 lots over the past three years, an increase of approximately 13,000 new applications has been received during that period. This leaves the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) system with a current backlog of 63,032 pending applications.

In its 2020 manifesto, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) committed to allocate 50,000 house lots by the year 2025.