The Ministry of Housing and Water (MoHW) has denied Opposition Member of Parliament, Roysdale Forde’s claim of discrimination in the apportioning of house lots.
In its rebuttal to an April 27 letter by Forde SC in this newspaper, the Minis-try said that through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, it has been issuing land to Guya-nese citizens and it has done so without bias or discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, geographical location, or political affiliation.
As evidence of its even-handed distribution, the release disclosed that to date, 33,000 house lots have been allocated, prioritising applicants from 2019 and earlier, and quadrupling the allocations made from 2015-2020 by the previous administration. Further, during the initial months of the current administration – August 2020 to December 2020) – approximately 50.90% of allocations were granted to Afro-Guyanese, with the remainder distributed among Indo-Guyanese and other races. As of April 2024, allocations stand at 45.9% Afro-Guyanese and 46.7% Indo-Guyanese and approximately 8% of other races.
Regarding the hinterland regions where individual land titles are not customary, the ministry posited that its Hinterland Housing Programme has positively impacted Indigenous families by providing homes at no construction cost to the beneficiaries.
Given the aforementioned figures, the Ministry contended that its allocation process demonstrates a clear commitment to equitable socioeconomic development, with 91.8% of allocations benefiting low-income, moderate-income and middle-income Guyanese, while only 8.2% are directed towards high-income earners, reflecting our goal of reducing poverty and fostering inclusive growth. Moreover, in keeping with its mandate to empower youths through homeownership, individuals age 21-35 represent 52% of allocations. The housing programme has also seen 45.8% of allocations going to women, 27.6% males and 26.6% being joint applications.
According to the release, apart from land allocation and housing construction, the Ministry has implemented various community-based programmes to enhance the lives of vulnerable populations. The community-based Employment Stimu-lation Project (CESP), it explained, has facilitated job opportunities for persons with disabilities and residents in communities such as Leopold Street, Albouystown, North Ruimveldt, in Georgetown, Mocha, on the East Bank Demerara, and Victoria, East Coast Demerara.
Using Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, George-town, as an example, it noted that the Housing Grant Programme there, has assisted 122 families with essential materials to rehabilitate their homes. Meanwhile the Steel and Cement Voucher initiative has pushed home construction for some 1,092 Guyanese families in private and government allocated lands across regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine and Ten.
MoHW pointed out that within the last three years there has been a steady increase in the number of families who have benefitted from the government’s Mortgage Interest Relief initiative and in the past three years, the government has paid out in excess $2.4 billion in refunds to more than 15,000 families from every income bracket with mortgages on their homes. The Ministry assured of its intention to remain steadfast in its commitment to transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in all aspects of our housing initiatives, the release added.
In his letter, Forde expressed concern with President Irfaan Ali’s active involvement in the distribution of house lots while on a trip overseas, particularly, in circumstances where an entire Ministry (Central Housing and Planning Authority) with a “mammoth” budget has full powers and responsibility to manage and administrate such matters. “It is clear to me, as I am sure, to all right thinking Guyanese, that the aiding of distribution of house lots by the President overseas is a blatant political maneuver aimed at garnering support rather than addressing the real housing needs of the population,” Forde argued.
The MP interpreted the president’s actions as seeking to create an illusion of progress while neglecting the pressing issues of housing within the country, as well as diverting attention from genuine development initiatives.
He reminded of the thousands of Guyanese who have applied online and visited the Ministry of Housing to apply for house lots and are yet to receive replies from the Central Housing and Planning Authority. He argued that the equitable distribution of these lots remains elusive for many ordinary Guyanese despite Guyana having vast expanses of land.
Upshot
The upshot of this, Forde continued, is that while certain segments of the population benefit from land allocation schemes, many Guyanese are left without access to adequate housing. He pointed out that many are still squatting on drainage reserves without proper sanitation, while in some areas, this situation continues to have a negative effect on the environment.
The MP ventured that it seems to be the case that a subtle strategy of the administration is to construct new roads to open up lands for its supporters while marginalising mino-rities, which serves to highlight government’s commitment to political expediency over inclusive development.
“By favouring specific constituencies, the incumbent not only exacerbates social divisions but also undermines the principles of fairness and justice. Such discriminatory practices further alienate marginalised communities and breed resentment, destabilising the very social fabric of the nation. Further, the government’s actions have far reaching social implications, exacerbating existing tensions and widening the gap between different segments of society.”
Forde expressed the view that the marginalisation of “certain groups” from land allocation and infrastructure development perpetuates cycles of poverty and exclusion, fuelling “discontent and disenchantment” among the populace. He was quick to mention as well, the many foreign investors, who are being fast-tracked by the government for land acquisition in Guyana.
As far as the Opposition MP is concerned, government must provide similar facility for those Guyanese who wish to return home for business and repatriations. “Indeed, I urge all Guyanese living in the Caribbean, United States, Europe and elsewhere in the international community who wish to receive house lots to apply to Central Housing and Planning Authority.”
Finally, he pointed to statistics which inform that in 2034, new imigrants and their Guyanese-born children will outnumber the current 2024 population of 800,000 Guyanese citizens. Further the population in 2034 is projected to be around 2 million people, half of whom would be new immigrants and their Guyanese-born families. “Therefore, we must not allow the PPP/C government to be biased, unfair and unjust with land distribution and allocation to our citizens,” the letter said.
