o own one’s home
is the dream of every Guyanese. With home ownership
comes a sense of solidity, of belonging in the land,
of having acquired and attained. Home ownership
gives a person an inner confidence, a sense of place
and belonging. A homeowner is no longer a transient
but someone who has a piece of the earth, a tangible
possession to transfer to the coming generation.
But under present
conditions many Guyanese do not have the wherewithal
to buy or build a home.
The poorest
Guyanese cannot even afford to rent housing, and so
many Guyanese—perhaps as many as 30%!—live as
squatters. The majority of these squatters live in
dwellings unfit for human habitation. But even those
Guyanese who can pay rent live in housing that is,
more often than not, cramped and overcrowded.
And even those
middle- and lower-income Guyanese who do own their
own homes generally cannot afford the investment
necessary to properly maintain them. As a result,
the quality of housing has deteriorated and property
values have depreciated.
In 2001, Eric
Phillips, the co-founder of the REFORM indicated
that Guyana will require a minimum of 5,200 housing
units to be built annually for at least the next ten
years. This annual figure comprises 1,200 new
households and 4,000 units to replace deteriorating
structures. But even though this is a modest number
of housing units, the government is unable to meet
the challenge of fulfilling current housing needs.
I believe this assessment is still valid today.
Much of the
housing crisis is due to misguided government
policy. In past years, the government built
thousands of decent, affordable homes. But in recent
years, the government has reverted to laws and
procedures that actually hinder development. For
instance, the government awards undeveloped
house-lots to low- and middle-income families. But
many of these families cannot afford to engage in
construction and they are not eligible for loans.
In addition, these house-lots are situated far from
where the awardees live. Even if a recipient is
able to buy a home, to live there he must leave his
relatives and friends. In this way government
policy weakens the integrity of the social structure
and destroys the sense of community and continuity.
Dealing with these
problems will require a combination of legal and
procedural reform in land development. It will
involve a new approach aimed at expanding land and
home ownership and at renewing distressed areas. I
call this proposal
“Renewing the Dream.”
ew communities
must be created throughout Guyana, including the
hinterlands. These must be accompanied by an
adequate infrastructure of roads, electricity, and
so forth. The poorest of the poor—the squatters—must
be taken care of. Their communities must be
regularized and either their dwelling places should
be made more liveable or they should be offered
alternative sites in which to live. At the other end
of the social scale, retirement villages should be
built with the goal of attracting well-off
expatriate Guyanese.
!
Build Across Guyana
"
Build housing and communities throughout Guyana,
including the hinterlands.
!
Build Retirement Villages
"
Solicit the building of retirement villages with all
the appropriate amenities (health care, recreation,
etc.) to attract overseas senior Guyanese to return
to Guyana. Many overseas Guyanese are that left in
the 1970s and 1980s have or near retirement age.
They would love to return to their homeland and
enjoy the beauty of Guyana. The now ask for modern
facilities and safety.
!
Provide Housing for Squatters
"
Undertake a survey and census of squatting areas.
"
Regularize squatter communities.
"
Install basic infrastructure at current locations.
"
Relocate squatters by providing alternate sites.
!
Infrastructure
"
Construct roads, water plants, electricity, etc., in
new housing areas.
Government
Assistance
To encourage
private home ownership, the government should
allocate land to Guyanese citizens who commit
themselves to building a home upon that land.
Homeowners and homebuilders must be given loans with
conditions that encourage home building, home
ownership and stability of communities.
!
Make Land Available
"
Make available parcels of state lands on highly
concessionary terms for middle and lower income
housing development by private developers.
"
Allocate at least one acre of land to any Guyanese
who will construct an approved house within one
year. This land will not be resold unless a home is
occupying the land.
!
Financial Assistance
"
Offer low-cost loans to middle and lower income
earners to improve and upgrade existing housing.
"
Establish a fund to provide subsidies to low-income
families.
"
Finance “build on own land starter home” proposals
and joint venture construction of new residential
schemes.
"
All construction in which this housing agency
participates will be required to contain a minimum
level of local materials input.
Legislative Action
The law must be on
the side of the home owner, protecting the rights of
mortgagees and the general public.
!
Modernize Laws
"
Modernize and upgrade laws as they pertain to
mortgages and real estate development to offer the
required level of protection to mortgagees and the
general public.
Urban Renewal
Pride in one’s
environment leads to stable communities, lower crime
rates and better socialization. This pride is
fostered by urban renewal and beautification
projects, and these must be promoted and expanded.
!
Urban Renewal and Beautification
"
Promote urban renewal and beautification of
residential areas throughout the country.
"
Strengthen the National Parks Commission to
encourage beautification in public and residential
areas.
Partnerships
As in other areas,
it is advantageous to invite non-governmental
sources of aid. Thus, we must foster the formation
of joint ventures and public-private partnerships to
create housing. We must seek international partners
and form relationships with both public and private
sector agencies of other nations in providing
financing and new technology in construction
methods. Creative thought will reveal a host of ways
in which it will be advantageous to private sources
such as companies and industries to participate in
housing development strategies.
!
Public-Private Partnerships for Housing Construction
"
Foster the formation of joint venture and
public/private partnerships to create housing
development in suburban and rural areas.
"
Attract international partners to provide financing
and new technology in construction methods such as
prefabricated construction and the use of “forms”.
"
Form relationships with public and private sector
agencies in countries such as the United Kingdom,
Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, Venezuela, Brazil,
Columbia and the United States.
"
Where appropriate, encourage self-help methods in
housing construction. Support Habitat for Humanity.
"
Offer a package of fiscal incentives to companies
that access a pre-determined proportion of offshore
financing and are involved in technology transfer
and cost-efficient construction practices.
"
Encourage specific industry welfare funds, such as
the Sugar Industry Welfare Fund, to participate in
joint venture and public/private partnership housing
development for the benefit of their members.
In Sum
There can be no
greater tangible marker of success for a lower- or
middle-class family than owning its own decent,
affordable home. With concerted effort, we can make
that a reality in Guyana for the vast majority of
citizens. A Guyana in which the basic strata of the
citizenry are adequately housed is a Guyana with a
foundation of greater strength and solidity. The
good that we do for the individual Guyanese citizen
redounds to the good of all of us.
