…as Govt on track to clear backlog in other regions in 2 years

With over 80,000 applicants for house lots within the system, the Government remains on track to clearing the backlog within all regions except for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) within the next two years. This assurance was given by Housing Minister Collin Croal during The Guyana Dialogue programme on Thursday evening, where he provided a regional breakdown of the pending applicants and the timeline in which they can be cleared.

For instance, he said Region One (Barima-Waini) has over 200 pending applicants, all of which should be cleared by the end of 2027. Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has over 2000 pending applicants, and half of these would be cleared this year, while the remainder will be allotted lands by the end of 2027. Over 10,000 applicants are in the system for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), and the Government is on track to clearing this backlog by the end of next year. Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) has 50,000-plus applicants, but there is no definitive timeline on how these will be cleared. Minister Croal noted that the Government is dealing with applications that were in the system from 2021 and prior, with a greater focus on developing housing schemes along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.