The government is exploring additional land along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway as part of efforts to expand housing opportunities and to strengthen the social and economic security of families living along the corridor.
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, made the disclosure during the Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations at Silver Hill, where he outlined several housing projects planned or already underway in communities along the highway.
McCoy said that access to home ownership remains an important part of the government’s development agenda, particularly for families in Amerindian communities.
“Having your own home is one of the best forms of security any family could have,” the minister told residents.
Among the initiatives highlighted was a new housing development planned for St Cuthbert’s Mission. McCoy said the project’s works had recently been advertised and would provide new homes for residents seeking housing opportunities along the highway.
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy at the Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations at Silver Hill
“That is going into the mission where we would have a brand-new housing scheme with houses so that our people who need a house on the highway would be able to access them,” he said.
The minister also outlined housing programmes to address the needs of specific groups.
At Puruni, houses are being developed for young professionals, while the housing initiative at Yarrowkabra is intended to benefit single-parent women.
McCoy said the Yarrowkabra project will go beyond providing homes by incorporating agricultural facilities to help beneficiaries earn additional income.
The houses will include shade houses where residents can grow and harvest crops. According to the minister, the government is expected to purchase the produce, creating an additional revenue stream that beneficiaries could use towards their mortgage payments.
“And those houses also include a shade house that can be used and will be used for them to harvest crops, to plant and harvest crops that will be resold to the government and for the monies they could use for their mortgages,” McCoy explained.
He said the government is also assessing other parcels of land along the highway that could accommodate larger housing developments.
The proposed expansion, he added, forms part of a wider effort to ensure families have greater stability and to create communities where residents can access opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
McCoy also linked the housing programme to broader development initiatives for Amerindian communities, noting that improvements in living conditions and economic opportunities should be part of the conversation on cultural heritage.
“We cannot celebrate heritage without celebrating development,” he said.
In addition to housing, the minister highlighted planned initiatives in transport, agriculture and small-business development, which he said are intended to strengthen economic activity and create more sustainable livelihood opportunities along the corridor.
He assured residents that the government will continue working alongside Amerindian communities to improve infrastructure, expand access to housing, and create opportunities for families to build more secure futures.
“We will continue to be your partner in development,” McCoy said.