Survey touted to address land issues in Region Two

Georgetown:  Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson has suggested that a survey be carried out to address a number of land acquisition and land related issues existing in Region Two. A number of complaints and issues have been brought to the attention of the Minister, who said that her Ministry, along with other land titling agencies would have to prepare surveys to ascertain the facts before legally addressing them.

“Some of the land or most of it is owned by the Guyana Lands and Surveys, not every piece of land, even if it has a house on it is owned by housing, so before we can intervene we have to first establish who owns (the land).” Minister Adams -Patterson explained.

Adams -Patterson, who visited Lima Sands, Essequibo, on Monday, told residents that the Ministry of Communities is aware of the issues that affect residents who are trying to acquire land. Some of these include squatting and overcrowding. Residents complained of persons acquiring more than one house lot while others are finding it difficult to get one.

Minister Adams-Patterson added that, “I know that there are issues here, there are issues of squatting, and there are issues of persons owning more than one house lot and some still waiting to have one. We are going to deal with these issues with the help of you and your officers, the senior officers and so in this region.”

While in Region Two, the minister awarded 12 Home Improvement Subsidies and held public consultations on whether the age to apply for house lots should be changed from 21 years to 18 years. The minister has several other public consultations planned for communities across Guyana.

The Ministry of Communities’ Department of Housing has held public consultations in Regions Three and Seven and awarded home improvement subsidies in these areas as well

To date more than 100 beneficiaries have received Home Improvement Subsidies.