Gov’t announces focus on West Bank Demerara house lot allocations

As the government seeks to address the housing needs in Guyana by acquiring more land, significant focus will be placed on Wales, West Bank Demerara, Region Three, for house lot allocations. 

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, made this announcement during a visit to the region on Monday.

He stated that “All of those areas that we are focusing on now are on the West Coast, so we will have a focus on the West Bank… our futuristic focus will see allocations within the Wales community.”

The move coincides with the massive development underway with the Wales Gas-to-Energy project, which is estimated to cost US$1 billion.

It is aimed at addressing the significant backlog of over 13,000 applications for housing there. The region has the second largest demand for housing in the country, next to Region Four.

Minister Croal also noted that the new highway being constructed from Schoonord to Crane will create opportunities to open up new areas for housing.

“Work continues to find new land… we have to compete for example, with GuySuCo. We have to compete with all the persons with agricultural lands,”Minister Croal explained.

Already, the government has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure works in new and existing housing schemes in Region Three.

A further $15.47 billion in contracts was awarded last month, to advance works at Meten-Meer-Zorg Phase Three, Stewartville East and West, and Leonora Phase Two housing developments.

Minister Croal said to date, approximately 6,400 persons within the region were allocated lots since August 2020, and additional allocations are expected to take place this year.

“When we evaluate Region Three’s pending applicants as about a year ago, it was about 14,000 pending applicants. As of now, it is about 13,652 pending applicants. So, what that tells you? It means that we are allocating, you still have new persons who are applying,” he underscored. Between August 2020 to December 2022, the government allocated over 20,000 house lots. This is in keeping with its manifesto promise of delivering 50,000 house lots to Guyanese by the year 2025.