There are over 25,000 active applications for house lots and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is working to clear the backlog, according to its Chief Executive Officer Lelon Saul.
During an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI)-produced programme ‘One on One,’ Saul said steps are being taken to address the situation through collaboration with Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited. (NICIL).
It was noted that in tandem with the GL&SC, lands will be developed in Bartica, Amelia’s Ward, Wisroc and Kwakwani, while with NICIL, lands will be developed in Met-en-meerzorg, La Bonne Intention, Vigilance, Mon Repos, Experiment and Ordnance-Fortlands.
Saul said persons who have applied before 2015 will be prioritised. “So, if you have an application in our system prior to 2015, we hope to satisfy your request and of course it will be done in chronological order,” he noted.
According to a DPI report, Saul also explained that when the lands are developed, areas will be identified for business activities. “In the housing areas, there will also be areas identified for industrial and commercial activities. We want to create communities that can sustain themselves and therefore we believe that commercial and industrial activity will play a major role in the employment of citizens within those communities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Saul also urged prospective applicants to appreciate that “if you are the owner of a property, you should not seek to apply for a house lot through CH&PA because we are concerned with satisfying the needs of the ordinary man.”
He explained that it is difficult for the CH&PA to determine those who have house lots outside of the CH&PA system. However, Saul said steps are being taken detect owners of properties which requires collaboration between the Deeds Registry, the Lands Registry and the GL&SC.
This will allow the CH&PA to effectively serve those who require house lots. “We want to deter persons from doing that so we can concentrate on those who really are in need,” he said.
Once persons are found to own land prior to CH&PA allocating them a lot, it will be repossessed. Making it crystal clear, Saul said, a condition of land allocation is that “you should not be the owner of any property” when applying to CH&PA.
