The Ministry of Housing and Water is injecting some $890 million into the Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara community to upgrade 8.8 kilometres of roads and other infrastructure there.
Some 25 core homes are also slated for construction, while 118 families would benefit from the government’s housing subsidy. Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, made these announcements on Wednesday, during an outreach in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara.)
These projects fall under the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme. Upgrades to the road will include the construction of pavements, sidewalks and drain networks. Several streetlights would also be installed, and a multipurpose recreational facility constructed.
Minister Croal said tenders for the project will be out by May and works should commence by July.
Meanwhile, the core homes project will see the construction of houses for persons in the low-income bracket, who have been allocated house lots. The 4,000-square-feet concrete structures will include two bedrooms and indoor toilet and bath. The housing subsidy programme will also benefit families who have completed the process.
Minister Croal said the IDB has given approval for the government to extend the boundary of the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme, which will now allow families of low-income earners in Victoria, East Coast Demerara, and Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, to access affordable housing. Sophia, Georgetown is also benefitting from this expansion.
Back in March, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) had invited tenders for the construction of core homes in Sophia. In his budget presentation earlier this year, Minister Croal had announced that 50 families in Sophia and another 50 at Parfaite Harmonie, would benefit from the core homes support. Another 100 families in those communities will also benefit from home improvement subsidies.
Additionally, the Minister said the Ministries of Public Works and Local Government and Regional Development are collaborating with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to assess and address road issues in the community.
He said the Government is aware of the condition of internal roads in and around the community.
