150 Turn-key Houses construed in fist phase- Housing Ministry

housingGeorgetown: Seventy-five persons are now proud new homeowners, thanks to the Housing and Water Ministry’s Turn-key Houses 1000 Homes Project at Perseverance, Providence, East Bank Demerara. This is according to a statement from the Ministry.

According to the Ministry, the houses were awarded within recent months as it aggressively constructs 150 houses during the first phase of the project. “This affordable housing initiative was designed to provide homeowners with comfort, security and a healthy family life. The 1000 Homes Project was launched by the Central Housing and Planning Authority to expand the Ministry’s Turn-Key Houses programme that recommenced in 2011. Construction began in May 2014 and by December 2014, 100 Buttercup Cottages were completed. Currently, another batch of 50 houses is being constructed,” the statement said.

The Ministry said it also facilitates visits to the houses by homeowners during the construction phase. Infrastructure for electricity and water are already in place and roads in the new community would boast asphaltic concrete surface once construction is completed. Shortly, a model of the Buttercup Cottage, which costs $4.9 million, will be on display and available for tours. The Buttercup Cottage has a total floor area of 600 square feet and includes two bedrooms, patio, washroom, kitchen, dining and living areas. A furniture company has partnered with the Ministry to furnish the model home, which is expected to attract interested persons and prospective homeowners. Over 5000 people have already indicated interest in the turn-key solution and applied to the Ministry to purchase the houses.

Persons desirous of a larger living space could purchase the Bungalow Orchid. The Ministry will commence construction of the Bungalow Orchid shortly. This house is priced between $8 million and $9 million. It is a three-bedroom house with a total floor area of 1050 to 1100 square feet. The house includes tiled floor and bathroom, ceiling, modern lighting fixtures, and sash windows. Every day, the worksite at Perseverance is bustling with construction activity to provide quality houses that would be called home to thousands of Guyanese. This project has provided employment opportunities for over 300 skilled and semi-skilled workers in the construction industry. The workers are divided into batches of 10 and are led by foremen.

Chaitram Geewan, who has been operating as a private building contractor for about 15 years, is appointed by the project as a Construction Foreman. He is pleased with the job security provided by the project for workers in the construction sector. According to Geewan, “being self employed as a skills man during the slow season finding steady job to match your skills is difficult… though I am a contractor, sometimes I had to go work with other people so I can pay my bills. Working with Government on this project is good… there are always materials available… whenever you do some private jobs you turn up with all your workers and you have to go back home because they do not have materials or money for you to work,” Geewan said.

Construction of the 1000 Homes Project is expected to open-up many possibilities to homeowners and more so improve the living conditions of citizens. The Ministry is pleased to see Guyanese responding positively to this project that would benefit generations to come.