Cummings Lodge houses almost complete, persons already prequalified for ownership

Some 139 houses out of the 190 low-income houses that will be constructed at plots 1767 and 1768 in Cummings Lodge, Georgetown, are nearly completed and homeowners, who have prequalified, are expected to move in about two months’ time.

This is according to Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal who was responding to questions from the News Room during a site visit of another housing development in Amelia’s Ward, Region 10, on Tuesday.

These 139 houses, he explained, are part of the first batch of houses that will be constructed in the community. These houses are all two-bedroom, single-elevated houses and are part of the young professional and low-income housing units the ministry plans to construct.

Earlier this year, 51 contracts were signed to start the construction of 290 houses. Of that lot, 190 elevated, two-bedroom homes will be built in Cummings Lodge, while another 100 flat houses would be constructed at Prospect, East Bank Demerara.

When asked about the expected date of completion for these houses, the minister explained that they are all at various stages of completion since different contractors are working on the units.

Though there is no fixed date for completion, he highlighted that the housing ministry has already prequalified a number of individuals who meet the income requirement and who would have applied for a housing unit instead of just land when they submitted their housing application to the ministry.

“…. within a month or two months, people will be able to move in,” Minister Croal said.

Beyond the 1767 and 1768 plots that are currently being used, the Housing Minister also related that the ministry is engaged in further land clearing exercises in other parts of Cummings Lodge so that further development can take place.

In one instance, he said that some lands have been occupied by farmers and as such, the ministry is working alongside the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute (NAREI) to assess what is there.

“We are at that stage of the discussion so that we can move on and clear that entire area,” he said.

Other units similar to those at Cummings Lodge are being constructed at Prospect, Providence, Little Diamond, and Great Diamond in Region Four; Onderneeming and Wales in Region Three; Ordnance/Fortlands, Hampshire and Williamsburg in Region Six, and Amelia’s Ward in Region 10.