‘Excited’ homeowners receive keys to young professional houses

After years of waiting to own a house, the keys to 12 young professional houses were handed over to new homeowners on Thursday as the Ministry of Housing and Water expands the Prospect, East Bank Demerara housing development.

The completed houses were constructed by First Change Builders Inc. and according to the new homeowners, this now gives them a sense of security.

Delon Caesar said, “I will benefit greatly from this. I will be in my own space and my own comfort.”

Caesar and his wife have a baby and he said this new house will greatly assist them.

Another beneficiary, Robin Bacchus said, “I feel elated that this project is finally done and everything is going well.”

He commended the government for the initiative and encouraged other young persons to grasp the opportunity to become a homeowner.

Another homeowner, Jason Arjoon said he intends to move into his new home immediately.

Meanwhile, addressing reporters at the simple handing-over ceremony, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croa,l said this is only part of the major housing development slated for the East Bank corridor.

He said that some 1,400 houses are being constructed in different phases and this will push the expansion of road networks on the East Bank.

But importantly, the minister said this is a major step in the right direction for these new homeowners.

He also praised the local banks for working with beneficiaries and assisting with the necessary prequalification process.

“We are trying to focus more on expanding and being able to build more so it’s not just about the allocation of house lots.

“If you look at our score sheets, we have handed over more than 1,600 houses and at least 1,400 houses are under construction and then you have low income, right here on the East Bank, you can have all of those,” Minister Croal said.

He said the ministry is still pushing for more contractors to be part of the building process.

Steven Jacobs, whose company, First Change Builders Inc, constructed the houses, said that this was the first housing project for him and his business partner, Leon Johnson.

Although Jacobs did not disclose how much money was invested in the project, he said that the company has learned a lot and will continue to expand.

“One of the main things that we stress here is quality and quality control so what we want to do here is ensure we maintain a good quality product for our customers.

“I’ve done 20 of the young professional houses and we are on to do more,” he said.

The young professional, single flat units are sold at approximately $14 million inclusive of the cost of the land which is $1 million. These units each sport three bedrooms, including a self-contained room.

The second option, a two-storey, three-bedroom young professional unit carries a total cost of $19.9 million inclusive of the cost for the land which is also $1 million.