Authorities plan to allocate nearly 11,000 house lots in Region Three by the end of next year, requiring more than $50 billion in infrastructure investment to clear outstanding backlogs and expand home ownership, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said on Friday.
The region currently has close to 11,000 pending applications, with future housing developments expected to be concentrated in Wales.
Speaking during a public outreach at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora, Jagdeo said the administration remains on track to clear housing backlogs in nine of the country’s 10 administrative regions by the end of 2027.
Region Four, which includes Georgetown, is expected to remain the only region with a significant backlog because of the large number of applications.
Jagdeo said developing the outstanding house lots would require substantial investment, with each lot costing between $5 million and $7 million to prepare.
Former sugar estate lands earmarked for housing must first be excavated, drained and equipped with roads and utility networks before they can be allocated.
“We have to develop 11,000 house lots between now and the end of next year, so everyone who applied can get their house lots. It will take billions of dollars, but we will put the money in,” he said.
Limited availability of state-owned land remains one of the biggest challenges facing housing expansion in Region Three, according to Jagdeo.
Much of the land between Georgetown and Parika is privately owned, leaving few options for large-scale residential developments.
As a result, Wales is expected to become the main centre of future housing growth in the region. Authorities have already distributed house lots there and continue to prepare additional lands for allocation.
Jagdeo urged residents who have received lots in Wales to retain them, pointing to major infrastructure projects that he said would significantly improve access to the area.
These include a four-lane highway from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to Parika, which is already under contract, as well as a planned bypass road aimed at reducing congestion between Windsor Forest and Tuschen.
“Most of your allocations in the future will be around Wales, but that will be closer to Georgetown because of the four-lane road. Don’t be too picky. We don’t have much land at this end. It’s all private land,” he told residents.
Traffic congestion along the West Coast Demerara corridor is expected to remain a challenge as vehicle ownership continues to rise.
Jagdeo said approximately 10,000 vehicles enter the country every three months, or about 40,000 annually, increasing pressure on the transport network.
He also announced that a new programme aimed at helping landowners construct homes will be launched in the coming weeks.
“Soon we’ll be launching a programme to assist people in building their homes. In the next couple of weeks or so, you will see the launch of a programme that will help people construct or move forward with their homes,” Jagdeo said.
The housing drive forms part of a broader effort to expand access to home ownership while supporting population growth and development, with Region Three expected to undergo one of its largest residential expansion programmes in the coming years.
