– Gov’t to accelerate housing programme in line with the 2025 manifesto
With the government aiming to construct 40,000 new housing units over the next five years, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has urged local contractors to form partnerships or consortia to help meet the national demand and avoid delays that have affected current projects.
During a news conference on Thursday, Jagdeo noted that the government will move aggressively to advance its land and housing policy, as articulated in the People’s Progressive Party 2025 Manifesto.
Noting that this undertaking is on a large scale, he said that contractors must be able to adopt new approaches to planning, construction, and execution, noting that over 8,000 homes must be built each year.
“This is not giving out 50 houses more to a man who can take three years and do it with poor quality material and the house cracking and all of that sort of stuff,” he told reporters at Freedom House.
Dr Jagdeo said the government has received numerous complaints from first-time homeowners about the slow pace at which housing units are being built.
Given the local capacity, he said, new methods of construction will need to be explored to speed up the delivery of housing units, including prefabricated housing materials that will be produced locally. Importantly, local contractors must be willing to forge partnerships, especially with international firms, to participate in this aggressive drive.
“I would advise all the interested local contractors, you can’t do this on your own. You have to get together in larger groups,” Dr Jagdeo expressed.
Additionally, the vice president stated that the government is exploring multiple models to assist citizens in building their own homes, including village funds and material grants, with tailored approaches for coastal and hinterland communities.
He assured that the next national budget will include allocations to support the expansion of this ambitious housing programme, building on the momentum set in 2020.
Between 2020-2025, the previous PPP/C Government allocated more than 50,000 house lots to Guyanese, exceeding its initial target.
