From hope to home: Families celebrate house lot allocations

Stacy Burnette today walked out of the Arthur Chung Convention Centre all smiles, knowing that her dream of becoming a homeowner is closer to reality.
She received a house lot after first applying in 2016. Burnette is one of 1,600 persons who will receive land titles or be allocated land over the next two days in designated locations along the East Coast of Demerara.
The allocation is being done through the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s “Dream Realised” initiative, and Burnette told Ignite News that she could not be more delighted.
“I am very excited, I feel relieved—like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders—so I am very happy about it,” said Burnette. She shared that when she received the good news, she couldn’t believe it and had to visit the agency in person to ensure it wasn’t a scam.
She said she is now awaiting the Ministry’s go-ahead to access the land and hopes to use her savings, along with a bank loan, to immediately begin construction of her home.
Like Burnette, Viola Weekes, another recipient, also expressed gratitude to the Housing Ministry for finally making her land available. She said she will now be able to move out of her family’s home and begin work on her own property.
The Norton Street, Lodge resident said she had waited nearly 10 years for her land and was thrilled when she received the call from the Ministry of Housing.
“I felt great, I was excited. I called my mum, I called my kids, I called my husband—I was just so excited,” said Weekes, who also received her house lot at Felicity. She will now be engaging commercial banks so that work can commence on her home as soon as her loan is approved.
Hugh Cornette also received a house lot and was over the moon. He had been waiting since 2016 and was shocked when he received the call from the Ministry.
“It really is great, seeing that it’s been so long—putting in so much work, running around, checking back and forth with the Ministry to see if it was ready or not,” he said.
Cornette shared that he has been preparing for this moment over the years and has been saving in anticipation of commencing construction as soon as he gains access to the land in the coming weeks.
Shazeela Baksh, who also spoke to Ignite News, expressed her excitement but said she was looking into what additional assistance might be available from the Ministry toward the construction of her home.

Baksh, a single parent who had applied for a house lot since 2005, was grateful to have finally received the property. The Housing Ministry has made available material vouchers to support qualified individuals in constructing their homes. While grateful for the allocation, Baksh remains hopeful that further assistance will be provided to help her build her house.
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal told the publication that the Ministry is working to address over 45,000 pending applications in Region Four, including those from new applicants.
Currently, the agency aims to clear the backlog—as of December last year—by July 2025.
He noted that recipients today received allocations within Phase Two of Felicity, Success, and Better Hope, among other locations along the coast

Shazeela Baksh

Hugh Cornette

Viola Weekes