The Ministry of Housing says its Foundation Programme in Leonora and Meten-Meer-Zorg is being used to help selected house-lot allottees prepare for prefabricated and modular homes.
Under the programme, suppliers and contractors will help cast reinforced concrete foundations on which prefab homes can subsequently be installed. Housing Minister Collin Croal said beneficiaries may combine government assistance with private financing and other available housing programmes.
The programme was launched in July for allottees who had received land in the two Region Three housing schemes but had not begun construction.
Three foundation options
At the launch, the ministry announced three standardised foundation options:
- 400-square-foot foundation priced at G$600,000
- 600-square-foot foundation priced at G$800,000
- 950-square-foot foundation priced at G$900,000
The programme is optional, and beneficiaries may still build through private contractors or use another construction method.
Representatives of Demerara Bank, Republic Bank, GBTI and Citizens Bank participated in the July launch to provide information about financing and loan prequalification.
The ministry subsequently said prefab and modular construction would form part of its wider effort to accelerate housing delivery. Suppliers are currently being engaged for the materials and services needed to construct the foundations.
What buyers should verify
The two-scheme initiative remains a pilot. The ministry has said it expects the programme to expand to other areas, but it has not published a national expansion timetable.
The latest announcements also do not identify the approved prefab suppliers, the number of beneficiaries in the pilot or the total installed price of a completed home.
Prospective homeowners should therefore verify the complete cost of the foundation and home, financing terms, transportation and installation expenses, site requirements, warranties and required approvals before selecting a supplier.
The programme may create demand for concrete works, construction materials, prefab housing systems and mortgage financing. However, the ministry has not announced that these opportunities constitute open contracts or tenders.
Sources: Department of Public Information — prefab housing rollout; Department of Public Information — Foundation Programme launch.
