Housing Ministry engages regional officers to strengthen services

The Ministry of Housing today convened a strategic meeting at its Brickdam Headquarters with Regional Housing Officers from Regions Two, Three, Five, Six, Seven, Nine, and Ten. The session focused on strengthening regional operations to better meet the growing housing demands across the country.

Minister of Housing, Hon. Collin Croal, underscored the importance of effectively executing the Government’s housing mandate. He stressed the need for stronger regional offices, equipped with both human and technical resources, to respond efficiently to the unique challenges within each region. The Minister also announced plans to establish a housing office in Region One, expanding access to residents in that hinterland community.

Minister within the Ministry, Hon. Vanessa Benn, reminded officers of their role as the frontline extension of the Ministry. She highlighted that awareness, knowledge, and personal integrity are critical in building public trust and ensuring services are delivered fairly and transparently.

Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Dr. Martin Pertab, emphasised the importance of efficiency in operations. He explained that the role of housing offices goes beyond allocations and household matters, pointing to the urgent need for timely documentation to support bank requests and financing. Dr. Pertab also highlighted the Ministry’s ongoing digitalisation drive, aimed at reducing delays and improving accessibility of records.

Among the challenges identified for remedy were the need to strengthen staffing and training in regional offices, accelerate the digitalisation of records to minimise paperwork delays, and improve communication channels between the central Ministry and regional offices.

The issue of enhancing public awareness and information sharing to reduce misinformation and build confidence in the housing system was also discussed.

Today’s meeting formed part of the Ministry’s broader effort to deliver quality, efficient, and transparent housing services nationwide, while ensuring regional offices are adequately equipped to serve their communities.