Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal is encouraging applicants who are awaiting house lot allocations to opt for the government’s cost-effective turnkey houses.
This, he said, will allow for quicker access to homeownership.
The minister made the call on Thursday at a ceremony where the keys to Young Professional houses at Prospect, East Bank Demerara, were handed over to 12 persons.
“Let me make this point because I know the listeners will make their social media posts about how they have applied and haven’t gotten through.
“The stage for the beneficiaries happens even before the foundation is built so all of these persons here were waiting for a while and so what happened is they go through a prequalification process and then we allocate.
“We have a pool of persons I know who have applied and persons know we work to ensure that the cost of these houses remain at this rate because despite the increased costs, we know we want to make affordability key,” Minister Croal said.
With the turn-key programme, moderate and young professional units are under construction in Regions Three, Four, Six and Ten. Already, over 600 houses have been handed over to beneficiaries.
The minister explained that many persons have already realised that the option of taking a turnkey house accelerates their chances of moving into their own house sooner.
“We know there is a huge demand for the houses and that is why a lot of persons who are waiting for an allocation have requested these houses and we have been responding but they have recognised that if they are going to build on their own, it is very expensive,” the minister said.
Further, Minister Croal said that the construction of these houses creates employment opportunities for many and he also encouraged people to join the construction sector. He said that persons who are complaining about unemployment should reach out to the ministry for a referral and possible recruitment with contractors.
“The construction sector requires a lot of labour force and skilled workers. You ask any contractor right now and they will tell you they have a need for employees.
“You go into many communities and they say there are not getting jobs but this is an example and if anyone has such skills and is willing to work, you can supply your name and we will send that to the respective contractors with a view of having you recruited,” he said.
The focus on the turn-key programme was revitalised by the PPP/C Administration when they returned to government in August 2020. It is aimed at providing affordable housing opportunities for Guyanese.
This is indeed one of the examples of transformation in Guyana !
Home sweet home!