EU gives $1.8B boost for low income housing
Stabroek News
March 14, 2003
The Government of Guyana and the European Commission on Wednesday signed a G$1.8B agreement which is expected to help establish 4000 new low-income house lots.
Altogether around 6000 low-income households are expected to benefit from the project which will be implemented over a four year period and will come on stream no later than October 30. However, citizens living in the interior regions will not benefit.
The project will support the development and allocation of about 4,000 serviced lots in new settlement areas for occupation by low income groups, and the upgrading of about 1,500 existing squatter lots.
The community development component of the project includes a micro-project scheme for the construction of community centres, day-care centres, playgrounds and sporting facilities, provision of main electricity lines, maintenance of roads, bridges and drainage, management of solid waste and sanitation.
Minister of Finance, Sasenarine Kowlessar and Housing, Minister Shaik Baksh signed on behalf of the government while, Head of the European Delegation to Guyana, Vincent De Visscher signed for the EU. De Visscher remarked on his hope that the "white paper" document on housing development would be discussed very soon, adding that it was time all parties seriously addressed the issue of house lot allocations.
The overall objective of the project is to improve access to affordable housing for low income groups in Guyana as well as to improve the quality of settlements by encouraging community participation and supporting community initiatives. Baskh pointed out that the project would also seek to upgrade basic infrastructure and community services in squatter settlements and transform those into formal settlements. He added that the project would encourage and develop community based initiatives and micro-projects to facilitate job creation and small-scale income generation aimed at creating a better living environment.
It will be supervised and co-ordinated by the Central Housing and Planning Authority, along with a steering committee to monitor and prepare strategic decisions and annual work programmes.
De Visscher cautioned that the project was not about building houses, but laying the necessary infrastructures so that persons could build their homes. He remarked that the project was about community building aimed at promoting harmony among people.
To fulfil the requirement of the programme the government has to ensure that lots are allocated in a transparent manner in accordance with the eligibility criteria of the IDB/Low Income Scheme programme. And it must ensure that transport documents are processed immediately upon allocation and the payment of a third of the equity contribution and processing fees.
