Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues on Wednesday addressed the challenges confronting the government’s commitment to ensuring homeownership among the younger generation. The foremost hurdle highlighted was the scarcity of contractors willing to participate in the housing programme.
Acknowledging the pressing need for affordable housing, Rodrigues emphasized the government’s use of tax incentives and the initiation of a housing construction programme. “If we want to promote occupancy in areas, we should start by building homes. This gives us the opportunity to utilize economies of scale, making homeownership more affordable for our low-income earners,” she stated.
Despite the commendable efforts, the government finds itself grappling with a critical shortage of contractors, hindering the timely execution of the housing programme. Rodrigues pointed out that despite the long list of individuals waiting for a house, the shortage of contractors poses a significant challenge to meeting the growing demand for affordable housing. “So we wish we can we can build more houses but we’re also in a tight spot in terms of contractors who are available and willing to participate in the housing program,” the Minister noted.
Following its manifesto promise, the government, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) initiated works on the construction of nearly 1000 housing units. It focused on catering to the housing needs of low to moderate income earners and young professionals. This initiative aligned with its commitment to elevate the living standards of Guyanese by ensuring accessible and affordable housing options across various income brackets.
