The Ministry of Housing and Water and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) were forced to terminate their agreement with contractors hired to construct moderate-income houses in the Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara area.
On Tuesday, Subject Minister Collin Croal told the News Room that works at Cummings Lodge were now moving apace while acknowledging there had been some delays.
“Cummings Lodge is ongoing. If you take a visit there are two aspects 1768 and 1767 which deals with the hoke construction and the land allocations,” Croal explained.
“We did have some hiccups with the ongoing contractors but we have terminated their contracts and we have worked to address the difficulty with others,” He added.
Croal said the ministry remains interested in the highest quality of work, delivered on time.
“We have completed quite a few and it remains an ongoing process. We are pushing to ensure the others are completed and the entire area for the housing construction is complete,” he noted.
Some persons have already applied for and received electricity and water.
Over a year ago, the Minister had said that some 139 houses out of the 190 low-income houses in Cummings Lodge were nearly completed and homeowners, who have prequalified, were expected to move in about two months’ time.
Early in 2021, 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.
Meanwhile, construction of the first 50 three-bedroom homes are under construction and homeowners will receive their keys in the near future.
Each moderate-income home is approximately one thousand and thirteen square feet and contains three bedrooms; a living room; a kitchen with cupboards and a single drain board sink; and one complete bathroom. The construction cost for each unit is $9 million.
The Minister also announced that the Ministry will be constructing another 100 two-bedroom moderate-income homes in Cummings Lodge, adding to the 200 similar units originally built in the area.
Contracts for the construction of these homes are expected to be awarded shortly.
These projects have significantly impacted the neighbouring community of Sophia, as more than 200 youths have been employed through the initiative and the demand for the houses continues to soar.
