Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said the government is accelerating efforts to regularise land ownership for nearly 1,000 residents in Linden who have been living on lands formerly owned by the bauxite company, while advancing measures to clear the region’s housing backlog.
Speaking during his public day outreach in Linden on Tuesday, the Vice President said the lands fall under the management of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and are being transferred to facilitate the issuance of land titles.
“We’re going to try to accelerate the titling for those people who live on those NICIL lands, and they’re going to work on a special project,” Dr Jagdeo stated.
He explained that Region Ten’s housing backlog stands at just over 3,000 applicants, but the government is preparing enough house lots to eliminate the waiting list by the end of next year.
The vice president also highlighted the government’s housing strategy, noting that while Region Four continues to have the largest backlog due to high demand.
The administration is aiming to clear housing allocation backlogs in the other nine regions by the end of 2027.
Touching on new initiatives to help more Guyanese become homeowners, he highlighted that the government will soon undertake projects such as constructing one-bedroom homes for the most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly, persons with disabilities and those unable to build on their own.
Additionally, families who already own house lots but lack the resources to begin construction will benefit from a new programme that will connect them with certified contractors and financing through the banking system.
The vice president said the initiative is expected to assist about 20,000 landowners who have received government house lots but have not yet been able to build, ensuring more families can access safe and affordable housing.