The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is calling on persons who have applied for house lots between the years 1991 to 2009 to make contact with the Agency in its effort to reduce the backlog of applications in its system.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Communities, the exercise is to determine if the applicants are still interested in acquiring a housing solution and whether they would prefer lands or housing units.
“The process allows the agency to know whether or not an applicant is still interested in a solution, the type of solution they are interested in, whether or not a co-applicant still wants to proceed as one with the main applicant or if an applicant wishes to add another person to his/her application,” the CH&PA explained.
The decision to conduct this activity under the Ministry’s Housing Solutions 2017 and Beyond Programme was taken at the level of the Board.
Some 6,000 applicants are in the system for that period in Region Four (Demerara Mahaica) alone, the Ministry stated.
CH&PA explained that prior to May 4, 2009, interviews with applicants were not done immediately that this contributed to the huge backlog in the system.
“Applicants were expected to submit their application forms and be given a date to return for the interview. That system has been since changed and interviews are done immediately providing that applicants have all the required documents,” the statement explained.
These documents include a valid identification card or passport, tax identification certificate, birth certificate of children if applicable, marriage certificate/absolute/death certificate of spouse if applicable and a recent pay slip or job letter.
The CH&PA said it understands the importance and need for Guyanese to acquire land or housing units and assured the public that it is working assiduously to develop lands, as well as construct housing units to meet the demands of the population.
CH&PA said the Agency is presently moving apace with new developments in a number of communities: Perseverance – Phase 3, East Bank Demerara; Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara; Providence, East Bank Demerara; Ordnance Fort Lands, Corentyne; New Amsterdam; Amelia’s Ward, Linden; and Wisroc.
These new developments will offer a combination of service lots and housing units, the Ministry said.
At Perseverance, East Bank Demerara (EBD), currently 40 duplexes are under construction. This will yield 80 housing units. In the same community, 50 elevated units will be constructed. Additionally, similar works have been slated for communities in Regions 2, 5, 6 and 10.
The CH&PA also apologized to applicants who were sold house lots in schemes without the necessary infrastructural development. A decision was taken to only allocate serviced lots. This means allocations will be made in schemes where roads, electricity, and potable water are available.
Additionally, 16 housing schemes under the management of the CH&PA are targeted for electrical infrastructure. Already, poles are on the ground in the communities to begin the installation of the electrical network.
Road upgrades are also ongoing or completed in several communities, among them: Tuschen – Section EE, Non-Pareil; Block D Bath; Ordnance Fort Lands; Corentyne; Amelia’s Ward; #76 Village, Corentyne; Parfait Harmonie; Westminster; Herstelling; and Perseverance, East Bank Demerara.
