GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Minister of housing and water, Collin Croal said that Guyana’s unparalleled housing sector will continue to be the strongest in the Caribbean [even] in 2030. He said it is a model for how a small country can think big, plan wisely, and act decisively.
Addressing the gathering at the opening ceremony of the International Building Expo 2025 at the Guyana National Stadium on Thursday, minister Croal said under the stewardship of president Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Guyana’s housing sector has been completely transformed.
“We are not only aiming for zero backlog in housing allocations, but also to ensure that every new scheme has roads, drainage, lighting, schools, health centres and the infrastructure that makes a community thrive,” minister Croal told the thousands of persons at the International Building Expo 2025.
The housing sector has seen an investment of more than $250 billion in five years. More than 20,000 new lands have been developed in various housing schemes countrywide. The ministry has also processed 20,000 titles; 13,000 have already been distributed.
The government has built 3,000 turnkey homes and has distributed more than 50,000 house lots, which, according to the minister, ensured: “50,000 families now have a place to call their own; 50,000 families now have the key to financial security and 50,000 families are now part of a new Guyana rising before our eyes.”
To complement the mass house lot distribution, over 500 kilometres of community roads have been paved.
With over $500,000 in steel and cement subsidies given to 2,500 Guyanese, the housing and water minister appealed to Guyanese who “have seen the results and have felt progress. Let’s keep building and moving forward. Let us keep Guyana on the road to success.”
Meanwhile, president Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali unveiled an ambitious plan to enable the construction of 30,000 new homes across Guyana over the next five years. The president said this feat will provide 150,000 jobs and inject over $450 billion into the economy. The plan represents the next phase in the government’s transformation of the housing sector, from land ownership to full homeownership.
“This is the scale and scope of what is ahead of us. We are moving beyond simply allocating house lots. We will directly support families to build, rehabilitate, and expand their homes,” president Ali stated.
Beyond the 30,000 homes already in the pipeline, president Ali highlighted the need to address an additional 80,000 housing applications.
Meeting this demand will require the development of 20,000 acres of land, equivalent to almost 32 square miles and an investment of over $420 billion.
“When you add the two together, we are talking about $870 billion in housing-related investments over the next five years. This is not about guesswork; this is careful, precise planning,” the head of state emphasised, urging the private sector to gear up for the vast opportunities ahead.
The president reiterated that the housing drive is more than just building homes; it is about economic expansion, job creation, and empowering Guyanese families.
Over the past five years, nearly 53,000 residential house lots and 5000 commercial and industrial lots have been allocated to Guyanese, with more than 21,000 leases, titles, and land transfers processed.
