CH&PA targets illegal settlements, housing backlog in next five year plan

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has outlined an aggressive five-year plan aimed at eliminating illegal settlements, clearing the backlog of housing applications and significantly expanding the national housing programme.

Chief Executive Officer Dr. Martin Pertab made the announcement during remarks at the launch of the International Building Expo 2026, describing the initiative as a clear commitment to ensuring more Guyanese have access to safe and legal home ownership.

“The commitment is clear for us to eliminate all illegal settlements, address the backlog in the demand of applications and expand the housing programme,” Dr. Pertab said.

He explained that the authority intends to construct more than 40,000 houses over the next five years as part of this push, noting that the move is necessary to keep pace with the country’s rapid development and growing demand for housing.

Dr. Pertab said the plan builds on major gains already made in the housing sector over the past five years, including the allocation of over 50,000 house lots and a surge in construction activity nationwide.

But he emphasised that the next phase will require strong collaboration with the private sector and other key stakeholders to be successful.

“We realise we can’t do this by ourselves… we need to rely on the contractors, the suppliers, the private sector and the financial institutions to deliver on our mandate,” he said.

International Building Expo 2026, Dr Pertab said has been structured to support this objective by bringing together developers, contractors, financial institutions and suppliers to showcase innovative, sustainable and affordable construction solutions that can help accelerate housing delivery across Guyana.