At the opening of the 2024 Building Expo this evening, President Irfaan Ali announced a new initiative to construct 500 homes for single mothers within the next six months. This project is a key component of a broader strategy aimed at providing not only housing but also economic opportunities through an integrated homestead agriculture programme.
The initiative will offer single mothers more than just shelter, according to Ali. Each home will come with provisions for permanent crops and shade houses, aimed at enhancing the residents’ earning potential while supporting Guyana’s food security objectives. “We want to deliver 500 homes in six months,” President Ali stated, “and it’s not just delivering the homes. These homes will be delivered to single mothers who will be the homeowners by name. It’s an economic model that we’re going to test.”
The 500 homes, set to launch on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, will be built on 100 acres of land and each will be paired with shade houses, which will be dedicated to specific crops linked to market demands.
This is similar to a programme recently executed which offered 100 acres of land to young people from the University of Guyana (UG) and the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) to develop agri-based businesses and work on farmsteads, further supporting the integration of agriculture and economic development.
The President also mentioned that 350 contractors, including many new and small businesses, will be involved in the construction. Many of these contractors he said are recent graduates from the University of Guyana. “More than 350 new small contracting businesses created alone as a result of this housing policy and housing drive,” Ali noted. “If you multiply that by a minimum of five, you will understand the implication for labour alone in the home construction industry that the Minister talked about,” he added.
The President also highlighted recent growth in the construction sector. In 2021, the sector grew by about 30%, and in 2022, growth was close to 27%. According to the head of state, this positive trend is expected to continue. He also noted that private sector credit has also increased significantly, with figures at 10.4% in 2021, 14.6% in 2022, and currently standing at 14.3%.
