More regulations are needed for housing

Jan 25, 2018 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The great efforts by Guyana’s Housing Authorities to provide information and sensitisation to the public must be commended. However, with the absence of qualified and experienced housing planners and builders, this process is on slippery mud, and is tantamount to fetching 10 pounds of groceries in a five-pound bag.
There must be some amount of rectitude and legal ramifications, instead of the platitudes to the media and the piecemeal approach to the establishing of housing structures and regulations. There must be laws to ensure that these houses and commercial buildings comply with safety regulations, which are rather sketchy in Guyana.
Additionally, a Housing Code of Occupancy coupled with Zoning will prevent overbuilding and improve Quality of Life. Here are some conditions that need to be instituted:
1) Houses must have a floor plan and any addition or alteration must be applied for from the CHPA. This is the correct direction as opposed to the legalisation of haphazard, unsafe structures which have proliferated.
2) Each property must have a meets and bounds survey so the public knows the layout, dimensions and outer perimeter of the land.
3) Easements – the right for someone to pass through another person’s property – must be determined.
4) Homeowners must sign a compliance that the home is for primary residence and is not for rental, as hefty fines or repossession could result.
5) Occupancy by 1 family is a required factor as well, because many homeowners hastily nail up a few boards (precipitating unsafe multi-family occupancy) in an effort to gather income from rent.
6) Residential neighbourhoods cannot have any form of commercial activities say, for instance, oil change/tire shops, TV/phone repair etc…
7) A Variance must be applied for, and granted by, the Housing Authority for any change from the (original) residential usage of homes.
8) Trained housing planners and inspectors to ensure and enforce safety standards.
9) A system to impose fines for violations pertaining to garbage, water wasting, maintenance, alteration etc.
10) Allocation and demarcation of parking spaces to avoid conflicts.

There are a multitude of factors governing the building of new communities: Schools, recreational facilities, access to medical treatment, garbage disposal, police, access to transport are just a few that can be pinpointed. Ratio factors vary; nonetheless, there ought to be a playground, for example, 1 acre per 1000 persons. Ratios can be extrapolated to schools, policing, medical centres, and so on; and of course, fire stations.
For Guyana to ascend to any high level of housing construction and design, many qualified and experienced planners, builders and engineers would be needed, as the country is still in the doldrums of housing. If this is not done, then there will be another set of poor quality housing waiting for yet another disaster.
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine
Real Estate Builder (New York)

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