Sustainable Hinterland Housing project’s 2nd phase starts in October
Georgetown, GINA, July 27, 2016
Phase Two of the Sustainable Hinterland Housing project which targets Regions One and Nine, is scheduled to commence in October, Minister in the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Sharpe-Patterson said.
During an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Minister Patterson explained that this programme is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and will be executed through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).
“Phase two will be done at a cost of US$3.1M. Phase one was US$2.1M (the cost), that was successful and ended in 2014 and as a result of that success, the IDB decided to move to phase two. Four villages in Region One and eight villages in Region Nine will benefit from this programme,” Minister Sharpe-Patterson explained.
The project will entail roof replacement on some of the houses within the targeted areas and construction of new houses.
“This project is supposed to commence somewhere around October. We are currently waiting on the representatives from the IDB to come. They will be going in along with our personnel to these two regions to meet the village captains and the village councils,” the Minister stated.
The officials are expected to engage in consultation with the residents, and the village councils on the design and implementation of the project.
“It has to be the people’s decision as to what style of roof, the design of house because you know it’s always better to have the people’s choice and after that they will then do the selection of the villagers who will be the beneficiaries of this project and the building will commence,” Minister Patterson said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communities will be working closely with the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs to execute a Government of Guyana Housing programme in several hinterland regions.
Minister Sharpe-Patterson advised that discussions are now ongoing on the establishment of housing schemes in Mabaruma, Region One, Mahdia, Region Eight and in Lethem, Region Nine. This, she said, is necessary since the population in these areas is increasing.