Twenty families from the Broad and Lombard streets area were last week presented with keys to their new homes as part of a Relocation and Resettlement project.
The $36 million project which was a collaborative effort between the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA) and Food for the Poor (FFTP) was officially launched in June 2019, sometime after the residents of the squatting area were promised relocation.
At a ceremony which was held at the Prospect, East Bank Demerara location where the new homes were constructed, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Lelon Saul, noted that the first phase of the “Broad and Lombard Streets Relocation and Resettlement Project” officially commenced in June 2019, with the two entities signing a Memorandum of Understanding.
Saul said that construction which commenced on September 30, last year, was expected to be completed in early December. He disclosed that of the $36 million which was expended to complete the project, FFTP contributed some $12.3 million and CH&PA took on the remaining costs with the units being constructed by FFTP.
“Within seven short months we were able to deliver this life-changing initiative which affords these families opportunities to remove [from] what can be described as deplorable living conditions,” Saul remarked while adding that with the
families moving, they now have the opportunity to improve their livelihoods as they are integrated into a wholesome community.
The CEO mentioned that children who are from the 20 families will also benefit from a recreational facility which was also commissioned yesterday at the ceremony and constructed at a cost of $8.5 million. He said that the facility was completed within four months and will soon be outfitted with amenities to benefit residents of Prospect as he reiterated that the objective of the CH&PA is to create safe and wholesome communities.
It was pointed out by the CEO that the Authority has observed “wide scale squatting” in some communities including Cummings Lodge and added that the CH&PA will continue to address the need for housing. Saul told the gathering that the second phase of the project is set for the same area in Cummings Lodge where squatting has been taking place.
Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson, stated that although there was a delay in completion of the project, the lives of those 20 families will be transformed not only by becoming home owners but also by holding titles to the land. Ferguson told the gathering that the occasion was a testament to the government and president’s policy to abolish homelessness. “The community that you will be part of is one that is transforming significantly… you see development. The CH&PA has constructed a playground to ensure that the children and the elderly have a safe and secure area for recreation,” the minister added as she congratulated the new home owners and encouraged them to make good use of the land by creating kitchen gardens to better sustain themselves.
According to Kent Vincent, CEO of the FFTP, the collaboration with CH&PA is the first of its kind and the project is a special part of the work that the FFTP has been doing over the years. He said that the collaboration is expected to continue as they expect to construct around 31 homes in the Cummings Lodge area at a later date. He disclosed that the $12.5 million which was contributed by the FFTP for the project, covered the cost of the house lots.
Vincent encouraged the recipients to care of their homes that they were presented keys for and thanked the CH&PA and the FFTP donors for their contributions.
The units which were handed over are equipped with bathrooms, potable water, beds and even solar panels, among other amenities.
