Government is not doing enough in the Housing Sector, particularly the “Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme”

Aug 31, 2021 Letters

Dear Mr. Editor,

I note a release published by the Department of Public Information, published on August 15, 2021, in which the installed regime is seeking to accredit the “Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme,” as their initiative through the Ministry of Housing and Water, the Central Housing and Planning Authority. I wish to state publicly that this is nothing further from the truth.
I wish to set the record straight as it relates to this programme.
The IDB and the PPP/C government in 2012 signed a loan agreement, number 274 1/BL-GY on June 21, 2012 for a sum of US$66.2M. There were several components to the programme, which include the Sheriff/Mandela rehabilitation at a cost of US$42M, the East Bank Berbice road project for US$8M and the remaining balance to be utilised to fund studies for the Wismar Bridge in Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice Region. This was removed subsequently from the IDB portfolio and funding was secured under the Caribbean Development Bank.
From the inception, this project was marred with massive fraud and corruption, which caused the IDB to threaten to pull its entire portfolio from Guyana. When the coalition took office, the project was revisited, reviewed, and continued.
The Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility programme was not initially part of the loan component of the IDB. Notwithstanding, the loan was made possible because of the Coalition’s government policy to address the housing needs and making housing accessible and affordable to citizens. The total sum secured from the loan to undertake the project is US$34.5M. I must point out that this programme commenced under the then Ministry of Communities, with the department of Central Housing and Planning Authority being the executing agency acting on behalf of the Government of Guyana.
Additionally, the following boundaries have been identified for the project, since they are within the Sheriff-Mandela Road rehabilitation: Georgetown to Grove on the East Bank of Demerara up to La Bonne Intention (LBI) on the East Coast and specific areas in La Parfaite Housing Development (Westminister, Onderneeming, Lust-en-Rust, Recht-Dor-Zee, Parfait Harmony, Phase 2. Note, all areas developed by Central Housing and Planning Authority. These communities cater for persons to benefit from “CORE HOME SUPPORT.” While ALL Low-Income Housing areas within the project boundary from Georgetown to Grove on the East Bank of Demerara up to La Bonne Intention (LBI) on the East Coast and specific housing areas in La Parfaite Housing Development (Westminister, Onderneeming, Lust-en-Rust, Recht-Dor-Zee, Parfait Harmony, Phase 2, to benefit with “HOME IMPROVEMENT SUBSIDY.”

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