Four low-income families from Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara and Sophia, Georgetown were yesterday presented the keys to brand new core homes.
This initiative comes under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), a release from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) said.
The homes were handed over by the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues. Deputy Director of Community Development Department – CHPA, Donell Bess-Bascom was also present.
The beneficiaries are Paul Cottam of 2453 Section C, Block X, Great Diamond; Sonia Thomas of 1063 Section B, Block X, Great Diamond; Dawn Waithe of 984 Pattensen, Turkeyen (Sophia); and Joy Castillo of 3067, Section D, South Turkeyen (Sophia).
For these beneficiaries and their families, the new homes mark a significant improvement from their previous living conditions, which in some cases included living in dilapidated structures or cramped quarters, the release said.
Thomas remarked that the home provides great relief for her children, as they can now enjoy comfort and security in the new house. Similar sentiments were expressed by Cottam, who has been visually impaired for 22 years.
Each of the homes boasts two bedrooms, along with kitchen and washroom facilities. With costs ranging from $4.5-4.9 million, the funding for this project came from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and beneficiaries are only required to make a $100,000 contribution towards the construction of the home. Each beneficiary must be the owner of the land on which the home was constructed.
