Housing applications climb to 81,000 as gov’t targets zero backlog within four years – President Ali

President Dr. Irfaan Ali says the number of housing applications in Guyana has climbed to 81,000, as increasing public confidence in the government’s housing programme continues to drive demand for home ownership.

Speaking at the opening of International Building Expo 2026 on Thursday, the President revealed that 67,000 of the applications came from new applicants who entered the system from 2020 onwards, with the average applicant being just over 23 years old.

“We are today at 81,000 applications in the system. Out of that, new applicants from 2020 and beyond account for 67,000, and the average age of that number is about 23-plus years old,” Dr. Ali said.

According to the President, the increase of roughly 60,000 applications in recent years reflects growing confidence in the housing sector and the government’s ability to deliver house lots.

“That is no accident. That is because of the confidence in the system and everybody wanting to be part of the growth story, owning their own home,” he said.

Dr. Ali announced that within the coming weeks, his administration will unveil a new housing development strategy aimed at eliminating the existing housing backlog within the next four-plus years.

He said the initiative will place special emphasis on vulnerable groups, including persons living with disabilities and single parents, while expanding access to housing for low-, moderate- and middle-income earners.

“We are designing a system that will allow you to have a home in which you can live in dignity, and in the coming weeks I will outline a clear strategy of how we are going to deliver homes to people who meet this criteria,” the President said.

He added that the government will also detail how it intends to increase investment in low-, moderate- and middle-income housing to meet the country’s growing demand.

Reflecting on the housing sector’s trajectory, Dr. Ali said the PPP/C left office in 2015 with more than 20,000 house lots already under development and approximately 39,000 applicants in the housing system.

When the party returned to office in 2020, he said, it inherited a backlog of about 22,000 applications and a housing programme that had lost public confidence.

The President described the subsequent recovery as “nothing short of extraordinary”, arguing that the surge in applications demonstrates renewed public trust in the government’s housing policies.

Dr. Ali also pointed to changing housing aspirations among younger Guyanese.

“There was a time when 10 families lived in the same house sharing two bedrooms. Today, your 21-year-old is dreaming of owning their own home because of a system that is supporting that type of thinking,” he said.

He said the trend reflects broader economic and social changes that are encouraging younger citizens to pursue home ownership earlier than previous generations.