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Govt. to roll 0ut housing plan for single mothers – Pres. Ali tells Building Expo opening
Scenes from the opening of International Building Expo 2024 (Photo credit NCN)
By Christal Yong, Celina Nathu and Darren Hinds
Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali on Thursday evening announced an ambitious new housing plan for single mothers at the opening of the International Building Expo 2024 being held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The plan, called the “Homestead Programme,” aims to build 500 homes within six months along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. Delivering the keynote address at the opening, President Ali said: “We are launching a new innovative project… We want to deliver 500 homes in six months, a remarkable task before us.”
He underscored that the programme is not just about providing housing but also creating an economic model to empower single mothers, some of the most vulnerable in society. The Homestead Programme will integrate various government ministries, including Agriculture, Housing, Lands and Survey, the Office of the Prime Minister, and Human Services.
Each home will feature a small farmstead, including a shade house, permanent crops, and solar energy systems to reduce energy costs and generate income. “We will give you an opportunity to earn but including an economic activity in the plot of land that will repay your loan…” President Ali explained. He added: “We [will] give you a chance to graduate out of poverty into a middle-income family and who are we giving those chance to the most vulnerable in our society single mothers, we are going to empower them to be the best they can be.”
The head-of-state disclosed that the planning for this initiative has already begun, with the design layout expected to be completed within two weeks. Construction on the 500 homesteads will commence shortly after, marking a significant step forward in the government’s efforts to support single mothers and promote economic growth.
Over 500 companies are participating in this year’s expo. The event is being held under the theme, “Building on the foundation of suitability and unity.”
For his part, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal announced that by the end of the 2024 some 40,000 house lots will be allocated. “…In fact, we will be allocating over 2000 house lots over the next two days,” Minister Croal said. He added too that some 1,730 certificates of title in new areas like Cummings Lodge, Golden Grove, Enterprise and several other areas will be allocated.
To this end, the minister underscored that within four years, the government has delivered over 34,000 house lots in comparison to 7000 house lots delivered between 2015 and 2020 under the previous administration. He noted that while the government’s commitment to deliver 50,000 house lots within five years did not include complete houses, there is plan to deliver more like these. He noted, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
He disclosed that to date the government has allocated 1,700 houses with 1,500 in the various stages of completion. “I have been assured by my team that before the end of this year, we will be building another 600 houses,” the minister said. Importantly, Minister Croal underscored, “the demand for affordable housing continues to grow, we cannot develop housing areas fast enough., To cope, we have identified new areas.” The minister said the advancement seen at this year’s expo mirrors the advancement at the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) over the past four years. Minister Croal disclosed that five model homes that the housing ministry will be offering will be on display at the expo, two being prefab homes. “You can also meet with architects and interior designers,” the minister noted. For her part, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues said that this year’s event has raised the bar even higher. She noted too that the government’s investment into the housing sector is geared towards ensuring homeownership for all Guyanese.
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