Change of govt. shifted policy focus for Housing sector

Jun 19, 2017 News

– CH&PA

The May 2015 General and Regional Elections which resulted in a change of government for Guyana led to a change in the policy focus for the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).
This was noted in the Authority’s Annual Report for 2015 that was laid in the National Assembly last Thursday. The report stated that with the change of government there was a concomitant change in policy focus as it relates to the housing sector.
It was highlighted that prior to May 2015, the policy focus for the CH&PA emphasised on improved quality of life through access to adequate and affordable housing. According to the report, homeownership was deemed as a form of wealth creation in relation to the Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Also, one of the major focuses at the time was on land divestment and, to a lesser extent, focus on the provision of turn-key houses.
CH&PA said that after elections, when the government of A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) replaced the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), there has not only been emphasis on improved quality of life. The agency said that the major focus is to move beyond the provision of serviced lots and facilitate the development of amenities, such as playgrounds, neighbourhood centres and other community facilities.
“The goal is to make communities more self-sustaining and to provide a ‘good life’ for its population.”
The report said that there is more focus on provision of houses and to a lesser extent land divestment. To achieve this, the agency said that the Work Programme activities therefore focused on the continuation of projects that would have started before May 2015.

Change of govt. brought with it amendments to the housing policy

In addition to this, there was an initiation of the process of re-focusing policy and strategic direction of the Agency to reflect the vision of the APNU+AFC government.
As such, the CH&PA said that it will continue the allocation of house lots to eligible applicants, construction of turnkey houses, infrastructure installation and upgrade within housing schemes and squatter settlements, transfer of titles to allottees and regularised squatters, completion of pilot projects under the Second Low Income Settlement Programme and community participation and capacity-building exercises.
Further, the report stated that the planned activities of the CH&PA had to be revised in June 2015 due to the aforementioned change in policy direction. Despite this, the CH&PA said that it would have made strides in areas such as the successful completion of the Low Income Settlement Programme, within time, scope and budget.
Concerning infrastructural development projects, it was reported that the agency spent over $3.3B. This money went towards roads, drains, installation of pure water distribution network and electrical distribution networks in 31 areas.
In its summary for the year, the report stated that negotiations commenced between GuySuCo and the CH&PA regarding the acquisition of new lands.
“This led to allocations within two proposed new housing areas (Stewartville and Cummings Lodge). In addition, one thousand, two hundred and twenty-three (1223) lots were allocated in GOG (Government of Guyana) housing schemes and four hundred and twenty-six (426) lots were regularised in favour of their occupants, in several squatter settlements, bringing the total number of lots allocated, to one thousand, six hundred and forty-nine (1649).”
As it relates to transfer of titles, 3253 additional households collected their titles and obtained the required collateral to finance the construction or improvement of their homes.
The report said that the work programme activities were implemented in keeping with the goals and objectives of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the National Development Strategy and the Low Carbon Development Strategy.

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