A fresh start: 28 families receive new core homes under IDB-funded housing programme

Twenty-eight families from West Bank Demerara in Region Three and the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara in Region Four have received brand-new core homes under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The keys were handed over on Tuesday afternoon by Housing Minister Collin Croal, Minister within the Ministry Vanessa Benn, and IDB Country Representative Lorena Solórzano-Salazar. They were joined by Director of Community Development Gladwin Charles, Deputy Director Donell Bess-Bascom, and staff of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

According to a release, the AHUAP Core Homes Support Initiative aims to provide safe and affordable housing for about 300 vulnerable households. Beneficiaries were selected during the programme’s open application phase, which has since concluded. To date, 176 homes have been distributed, including those presented this week.

Each core home measures 400 square feet and includes two bedrooms, a kitchen area, and washroom facilities. Beneficiaries contribute $100,000 towards construction, described by the Ministry as “a small investment in a foundation for a better future.”

For many recipients, the homes mark a new beginning. Cindy Sookhoo said the new house will greatly improve her living conditions. “I am living […], at the back of the premises, but the home is falling apart,” Ms Sookhoo expressed. She said the new home will provide “a much needed upgrade” to her standard of living.

Another recipient, Sharon Shepherd, who has been living with relatives and friends, said she was happy to finally have her own home. “I won’t have any more problems at nobody house or anything. I’m so happy I have my house to move in,” she said, adding that she looks forward to reuniting with her son, who is staying with another individual.

Lynette James said the home will make a meaningful difference for her and her sons. “It will be a tremendous change because we will be having our own little cosy home. So, I’m happy about it and I know they too will be happy,” she said.

Delivering the feature address, Croal reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring all citizens have access to sustainable and affordable housing. “Housing is not a luxury, it’s a right, a fundamental right,” he said. “Our commitment [is] that every Guyanese must have access to adequate housing and to go with that, the improved living conditions, no matter the person’s background, their income or their circumstance.”

Minister Benn encouraged the new homeowners to maintain and take pride in their properties. “It is where you are starting afresh. You’re stepping up from your current circumstances and it’s going to help you to build,” she said, noting that the homes were designed for future expansion as families grow and their needs evolve.

Solórzano-Salazar said the IDB remains committed to partnering with the government to bridge housing gaps among low-income families. She said the programme not only promotes access to safe homes but also supports broader socio-economic benefits and commended the government’s efforts to ensure “no Guyanese is left behind in the national housing drive.”

The $5.8 billion AHUAP comprises three components — Affordable and Sustainable Housing, Consolidation of Existing Housing Schemes, and Institutional Strengthening. The initiative’s reach spans communities from Georgetown to Grove on the East Bank Demerara, Haslington on the East Coast Demerara, and several areas along the West Bank Demerara including Westminster, Onderneeming, Recht-Door-Zee, Lust-en-Rust, and Parfaite Harmonie Phase II.