500 house lots, over 250 agreements of sale to be distributed at Essequibo housing drive

Scores of persons, many dressed in their work attire, others accompanied by children, showed up to receive their house lots, sign for their agreement of sale or simply make a query at a housing drive that got underway in Region Two on Friday.

With documents well arranged in their hands, they waited anxiously for their turn to achieve home ownership.

That is the scene at the Ministry of Housing and Water’s ‘Dream Realised’ housing drive in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). The event will conclude on Saturday.

During the two-day period, 500 house lots will be allocated in Plantation Onderneeming and more than 250 persons will be signing to receive their agreement of sale.

The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s aim of ensuring that every citizen have access to affordable home ownership.

In his address to those gathered, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal said the housing programme has always been a priority for the government.

Since the PPP/C government took office in 2020, over 41,000 house lots were allocated. 791 of these allocations were in Region Two.

And this year, Croal said the aim is to allocate 25,000 house lots. This means that the government will be exceeding their manifesto promise of distributing 50,000 house lots by the end of 2025.

“When you come here and you put your land in an envelope and get a number it’s not by magic you got there…it’s a lot of work and money,” Croal said.

And it gets better, according to Croal for allocations are done this year, the land titles will be issued before the end of the year.

“All allottees that will be allocating lot this year will be accessing their lot by the end of this year,” he said.

In Region Two, Croal noted that the ministry is aiming to regularise five areas: Lima Sands, Paradise, Jib, Walton Hall and Marias Lodge.

The housing drive is the 54th of such which is being hosted since 2020.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues said throughout this programme, house lots were delivered at “extremely” subsidised prices.

“You come as a prospective land owner and leave as a land owner. People who come with an allocation letter and leave with their agreement of sales who will become home owners,” Rodrigues said.

The house lots being allocated in Region Two ranges from low, middle and moderate income.

“Our programmes is about delivering real results…we haven’t limited ourselves of what we can do at the ministry of housing,” Rodrigues said.