Minister of Housing, Collin Croal has asserted that home ownership in Guyana is no longer reserved for a privileged few but is now accessible to every ordinary citizen.

Highlighting the scale of the ongoing transformation, the minister noted that over 1,900 informal settlers have been regularized and 25,000 land titles processed to date.

He pushed back against criticisms regarding the pace of construction, reminding the House that the government has already exceeded its manifesto commitments. He noted that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic manifesto originally added housing as an evolving target, yet the administration has already managed to allocate 53,000 lots and construct thousands of homes.

“We have gone beyond our manifesto promise, supporting single women, delivering over 22,000 house lots, providing subsidies, regularizing communities, and giving families the security they deserve,“ he said.

The Housing minister further stated that 45,580 allocations, roughly 86 per cent of the total set, went to low-income and middle-income applicants.

He referenced several new developments, specifically honing in on the Yarrowkabra Homestead project, which targets female-headed households by providing sustainable home ownership opportunities paired with agricultural shade houses.

“Housing is the single mother in Region Three who wants her children to grow up in stability, not uncertainty. Housing is the policeman, the nurse, the market vendor, the minibus driver – ordinary Guyanese who want something simple: a key, a title, a home, a future,” the minister underscored.

Beyond the construction of houses, the minister outlined a comprehensive plan for community development that includes the installation of street lighting, the creation of green spaces, and the establishment of designated automobile zones and truck parks to address community complaints.

He also defended the rising costs of infrastructure, explaining that modern housing developments now require extensive access roads, utility relocations, and drainage works that were previously ignored.

“We will engage with criticism through evidence, not noise,” Croal said, adding that the government intends to aggressively reduce the backlog of applicants by building 8,000 new homes across all ten regions this year.

The government’s vision for the housing sector is backed by a massive $159.1 billion allocation in the 2026 National Budget. This funding is earmarked to facilitate the development of new housing areas and the allocation of an additional 15,000 house lots and 8,000 turnkey homes throughout the year.

 The 2026 measures also include a significant increase in the low-income mortgage ceiling from $20 million to $30 million and $7.5 billion dedicated to the steel and cement subsidy program.