Central Housing to address house lot backlog

Last Updated on Thursday, 22 August 2019, 16:52 by Writer

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) says it is working to clear the backlog of house lot applications.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the authority, Lelon Saul says the CH&PA, Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) and the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd. (NICIL) will be collaborating to satisfy the demand for house lots.

He explained that the GLSC, will develop lands in Bartica, Amelia’s Ward, Wisroc and Kwakwani; NICIL will develop lands in Met-en-Meer-Zorg, La Bonne Intention (LBI), Vigilance, Mon Repos, Experiment and Ordnance-Fortlands.

The CEO notes that currently there are more than 25,000 active applications.

Saul says persons who have applied before 2015 will be prioritised. “So, if you have an application in our system prior to 2015, we hope to satisfy your request and of course it will be done in chronological order,” he was quoted as saying by government’s Department of Public Information.

Saul explained when the lands are developed, areas will be identified for manufacturing and business activities. “In the housing areas, there will also be areas identified for industrial and commercial activities. We want to create communities that can sustain themselves and therefore we believe that commercial and industrial activity will play a major role in the employment of citizens within those communities,” he said

The CEO is also urging persons to appreciate that “if you are the owner of a property, you should not seek to apply for a house lot through CH&PA because we are concerned with satisfying the needs of the ordinary man.”

He explained that it is difficult for the CH&PA to determine those who have house lots outside of the CH&PA system. However, Saul said steps are being taken to identify owners of properties which requires collaboration between the Deeds Registry, the Lands Registry and the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission.

This will allow the CH&PA to effectively serve those who require house lots. “We want to deter persons from doing that so we can concentrate on those who really are in need,” he stated.

Once persons are found to own lands prior to CH&PA allocating them a lot, it will be repossessed. Making it clear, Saul said, a condition of land allocation is that “you should not be the owner of any property” when applying to CH&PA.