Following an announcement from President Dr. Irfaan Ali that 1,000 houses will be constructed in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice), works are underway for the construction of the first 40 houses in Amelia’s Ward, Phase Two.
This is according to Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal who visited the site on Tuesday where the land has already been cleared. As such, the minister said that the construction of the houses – which will be single elevated – will commence immediately. Later, he said that it would take about four months for the first 40 houses to be constructed.
“We are looking at an injection, on construction costs alone for about $300 million and the model that we are using is similar to our other programmes in the other regions,” Minister Croal explained.
The individuals who will get these homes will be chosen based on their income and based on their preference for a house given when they applied for house lot at the ministry. He also said that the individuals who will benefit from the houses here would be drawn from the area or region at large.
Beyond these first 40 houses in Amelia’s Ward Phase Two, and the distribution of 400 housel lots in Amelia’s Ward Phase Four that got underway on Tuesday, Minister Croal said that efforts are being made to secure more land for development.
As such, he said that the housing ministry has been engaging the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC).
Beyond securing lands, he explained that the ministry would require the necessary budgetary allocations to develop the lands. The development, he explained, includes the construction of roads, the drainage network, and installing the necessary utilities such as water and electricity.
