In May, the Central Planning and Housing Authority (CH&PA) will be hosting an event called ‘Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond.’
The CH&PA today (Tuesday, February 21, 2017) signed 14 contracts for the construction of 10 low income, five moderate income and eight middle income houses to be on exhibition at the event at the Perseverance housing scheme on the East Bank of Demerara (E.B.D).
The agency will complete six duplexes and two single units, and is hoping to have one of the contractors complete a town house.
Project Director (acting) Omar Narine explained that the contractors were given an 80 x 45 feet low income land to construct a 600-square foot house and an 80 x 62 feet moderate income land to construct a 900- square f00t moderate income house.
Those contractors opting to construct middle income houses were given 80 x 85 feet land to build 1100-square f00t houses, Narine explained.
The CH&PA will be using its existing resources from its 1000 homes project to build its eight units. The authority will be constructing duplexes of three designs and flats houses on stilts. Narine explained that the flats would be built on stilts to give the beneficiaries the option of enclosing the bottom flat.
However, citizens who are prospective homeowners can purchase the land and building of their choice at the end of the event. However, the prospective homeowners must have, previously applied or must make an application for the house lot with the authority.
The Housing Department will be selling the land at the usual price of 300,000 for low-income land, $500,000 for moderate income land and 700,000 for middle income but will not have any control over the price for the model houses which is left at the discretion of the exhibitors. The houses must be sold on or before, six months from the close of the exhibition, the ministry said.
Further, the purchaser is prohibited from making any modifications or extensions to the building purchased for a period of five years, except with the consent of the CH&PA. The purchaser may make modifications thereafter with the permission of the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
Minister with responsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson said the venture is an alternative way of further reducing the number of housing applicants.
The minister explained that the authority is seeking to create a long-lasting model village that the public can, over the years visit and appreciate, the government’s “new” housing ideas, for 2017 and beyond. “We want to show Guyana what is our way forward in the housing sector…we are setting up what we call a model village…the public can go to that location, see different housing models homes and different types of building materials used,” she said.
She added that the exhibitors are free to begin building the houses since the projects department will be monitoring the quality of construction.
The contractors have, within one week of signing of the contracts, to commence construction of the houses. They will have 14 weeks to complete them.
The event will begin on May 1 and run until May 5. There will be daily and nightly activities to keep the public fully engaged, says the Minister.
