-signals programme for vulnerable groups
President Irfaan Ali yesterday reiterated that the government will shift its housing focus from primarily distributing land to expanding home ownership, including the construction of 40,000 units and a programme targeting vulnerable groups.
In a Facebook Live address devoted to housing, Ali said the PPP/C administration had invested almost $240 billion in the housing sector between 2020 and 2025, developed more than 100 housing schemes and distributed more than 50,000 house lots.
“Our policy is not just about creating house lots, it’s about enabling home ownership,” Ali said. “We have pursued a number of policies and created a number of avenues… that would enable families and persons to move from land ownership to home ownership.”
He said approximately 24 squatter settlements had also been regularised, allowing occupants to obtain ownership documents and use their properties as collateral.
According to the President, more than 128,000 persons have benefited from land allocations since 2020, representing what he described as $94 billion in transferred wealth.
Despite surpassing the government’s manifesto target of distributing 50,000 house lots, Ali acknowledged that demand continues to outstrip supply.
“We still have a significant housing deficit,” he said.
He disclosed that Guyana currently has between 75,000 and 78,000 pending applications for house lots, with more than 50,000 concentrated in Region Four.
“What is interesting is that over 50,000 of that backlog is concentrated in Region Four. And that is one of the major challenges,” he said.
Ali attributed the increase in applications to growing confidence in the housing programme and increased remigration.
He said the government intends to clear the backlog in every region except Region Four by the end of 2027, while eligible Region Four applicants from 2021 and earlier are being processed.
The President said the next phase of the housing programme would place greater emphasis on enabling construction rather than simply allocating land.
“In the 2025 manifesto, the PPP/C government promised to construct 40,000 housing units. Not only now delivering lots, but actually constructing 40,000 housing units,” he said.
He added that the government had already received more than 270 expressions of interest from companies seeking to participate in the housing construction programme.
Ali also announced plans for a social housing initiative aimed at vulnerable groups.
“We’re going to identify highly vulnerable persons within our society—single mothers… people living with disabilities, the elderly—and we’re going to have a social housing programme to support home ownership,” he said.
The President said the administration had introduced several measures to make home ownership more affordable, including the removal of VAT on locally produced building materials, subsidised cement and steel, tax relief on mortgage interest payments and lower mortgage interest rates negotiated with commercial banks.
He said Budget 2026 increased the ceiling for low-income mortgages from $20 million to $30 million and expanded tax deductibility on mortgage interest.
According to Ali, those measures have returned $43.8 billion to homeowners over the past five years.
He also pointed to legislative changes, including the Condominium Act, and the introduction of the Electronic Planning and Development Single Window System to speed up approvals for building plans.
Addressing regional housing demand, Ali said the government has identified sufficient lands to clear most backlogs outside Region Four.
In Region Two, however, he said additional private lands would have to be acquired to satisfy demand.
“The government will now have to acquire private lands to clear the backlog and also to cater for future demand,” he said.
He noted that Region Three is expected to play a key role in reducing pressure on Region Four because of the availability of land for new housing developments.
Ali said only about half of Region Four’s existing backlog is expected to be addressed by the end of 2027 using lands currently being acquired.
He said that shortfall explains the government’s investment in Silica City and new highway infrastructure.
“That is why we are investing heavily in Silica City… to create new opportunities to clear this backlog in Region Four,” he said.
The planned city, he said, is expected to occupy about 3,800 acres initially, with the potential to expand to 10,000 acres and accommodate approximately 60,000 residents.
Ali also said the government is developing between 3,000 and 5,000 social homes under a programme that will be launched shortly, with eligibility to be determined under strict criteria.
“We want… not only to make home ownership easier, but to empower people to bring dignity to every single Guyanese family in where they live, how they live, and the circumstances surrounding their living condition,” he said.
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