Housing Ministry set to pump $2B infrastructure works in Region 6

Jan 22, 2021 News

– Mother of 12 awarded house lot after 16-year wait

Housing Minister, Collin Croal, (2nd left) engaging with a resident.

House lot recipient, Ms. Jacqueline Archer.

Kaieteur News – The Minister of Housing and Water Hon. Collin Croal during his visit to Region 6 to facilitate a public outreach at the Regional Democratic Council revealed that his ministry is set to invest a whopping $2B in the 2021 program to infrastructure works in the region.

He disclosed that works will commence in Hampshire, Williamsburg, No. 75 Village and Ordinance/Fortlands. The focus will be on road networks and water delivery in new housing areas.

“We were here in December at Tain for the allocation exercise of 300 house lots to start the process here. Today the department of the Central Housing and Planning Authority is here. In Region 6 works are to commence here to the tune of $54 M”, the Minister said.

Additionally, Minister Croal disclosed that presently in the pipeline is the construction of 200 houses with 100 intended for Williamsburgh and another 100 for Fortlands. He added that Region Six will see the “the infusion of wealth generation and employment opportunities complemented by safer communities, expanded family, better living lifestyle for persons who aspire to have their own lot or for those who will be shortlisted on the housing aspect” as a spin-off from the housing sector.

Meanwhile, at the public outreach, an array of issues were raised with many persons looking for assurance after they would have applied for house lots only received acknowledgement letters thus far. The Minister assured that “once they are in the system, as we pull from it they will be called”.

There were cases where persons had applied for a house lot and when they returned to the housing department they were told that their names were not seen and were asked to re-apply.

“When persons apply,” the Minister said, “you must ensure you receive an acknowledgement letter. If you lost the acknowledgement letter you can re-apply for another one. We are strengthening this office in Berbice and it will be fully automated. We have just completed an internal audit and so we are hoping by the middle of this year backlogs should be cleared including the new ones from last year.”

A mother of twelve children walked away a happy woman yesterday after she was granted her house lot with the intervention of Minister Croal. Jacqueline Archer had applied for a house lot in 2004 and has been waiting ever since. However, after pleading her case to the Minister, he assured her that he would look into it.

“I got it. Minister said he gonna look after it now and I got through. I had confidence that he will and I was allocated at Fort Ordinance,” the woman told Kaieteur News. Archer stated that she was very satisfied with the service provided and is urging the Minister to have more outreaches.

Hundreds of persons including staff from the RDC, health care professionals, policemen and women, pensioners and young professionals turned up to meet with the Minister. He spent the entire day engaging with those persons with many given on the spot solutions. Outreaches were also held at other locations in the country. Also present were the Vice Chairman Zamal Hussain, Regional Executive Officer Narindra Persaud, Manager of GWI Chesney office Randy Leith and representatives from CHPA.