Pending applications in nine regions to cleared by end of 2027 – Pres Ali

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Thursday unveiled the government’s comprehensive plan to eliminate Guyana’s housing backlog, announcing that pending applications in every administrative region, except Region Four, are expected to be cleared by the end of 2027.

During a social media address, the president said that the government has exceeded its promise of distributing 50,000 house lots over the last five years.

He said, nevertheless, the demand for housing continues to grow due to increased economic confidence and a rise in new applications.

“As of early 2026, Guyana faces a housing backlog of approximately 75,000 to 78,000 pending applications. What is interesting is that over 50,000 of that backlog is concentrated in Region Four,” President Ali explained.

He noted that although 53,000 house lots were distributed between 2020 and 2025, the influx of new applicants has kept demand high.

To address the challenge, the government has developed a region-specific strategy that includes acquiring additional lands, developing new housing schemes, and accelerating infrastructure works.

The president said Regions One, Three, Five, Six, Seven, Nine and Ten are on track to have their backlogs cleared by the end of 2027, while Region Eight is expected to achieve that milestone by the end of 2026.

For Region Two, where demand continues to increase, the government is acquiring additional State and privately owned lands to satisfy both the existing backlog and future applications.

President Ali acknowledged that Region Four presents the greatest challenge because of limited land availability.

“The amount of land being acquired in Region Four currently can only clear 50 percent of this backlog by the end of 2027. That is why we are investing heavily in Silica City and opening up new housing areas along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway,” he stated.

The government has invested nearly $240 billion in the housing sector over the past five years, delivering thousands of house lots, developing new communities, and creating greater homeownership opportunities nationwide.

Despite these achievements, President Ali emphasised that the government’s housing agenda is evolving from simply distributing house lots to enabling more Guyanese families to own completed homes through expanded financing, affordable housing programmes and targeted support for vulnerable citizens.

“We believe that every Guyanese who is qualified, every Guyanese family qualified, should be able to live in their own home,” the head of state affirmed.

(Republished from the Department of Public Information)