Minister of Housing Irfaan Ali on Tuesday announced that the ministry has surpassed its house lot distribution target for 2011, at a ‘One Stop Shop’ where 240 more families were given lots in the new Leonora housing scheme.
“About 240 families will be joining thousands of other Guyanese who are already enjoying a comfortable life and improved standard of living in their own home” in Leonora, Ali said, in his address at the 17th One Stop Shop held at his Brickdam office. He said government spent more than $85M to put in place the necessary prerequisites for development in the new scheme, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) report.
The housing programme forms one of the most important pillars in government’s drive in the social sector, Ali said, adding that he was pleased that they had been able to complete the Leonora development long before the end of the year.
Ali said Leonora is “an important investment since it represents yet another commitment by the administration to improve the lives of its citizens and if you look at the average per capita we would have invested $650,000 on each lot.” He revealed that more than $15B was invested in the housing sector in Region Three to ensure that residents benefit from house lots and the attendant services. The investment created more than 24,000 house lots and benefited more than 97,000 people.
CEO at the Central Housing and Planning Authority Myrna Pitt said that the One Stop Shop strategy has sped up the application process for many persons and it has allowed them to start building their homes.
The scheme will benefit about 9,000 people and infrastructure works are nearing completion. Electricity will be installed in early January. “We want to see you construction your home as quickly as possible… you may know that government continues to disburse massive amounts of resources for the development of lands for residential use and in this regard it requires that the land be occupied in the shortest possible time,” Pitt said.
According to GINA, Leonora will also benefit from massive road rehabilitation under the Community Roads Improvement Project. Under this programme, through the Stewartville/ Cornelia Ida Neighbourhood Democratic Council, 49 roads stretching a total of 24.4 kilometres will be rehabilitated at a cost of $240M, the minister said. He also said that several other communities in the region are set to benefit from rehabilitation works under the miscellaneous road project at a cost of $108M.
