In preparation for his future, young Lindener David Fletchman decided to apply for a house lot back in 2017. Like many others, he waited eagerly for that call confirming his success.
But that was not the outcome. At the time, he needed additional documents and had also applied for a house lot in Region Four — the region with the highest number of applications and an existing backlog.
Based on advice, Fletchman submitted a new application, this time for Region Ten. Less than two years later, his application was successful.
“I did everything online — submitted all the documents, scanned them with my phone and whatnot — and I got the okay.
“It’s sooner than expected but, yeah, it was worth the wait. I know people with families who waited longer than I did,” Fletchman told the News Room on Friday.
Fletchman is among 1,000 individuals who were allocated house lots in the New Wismar Phase Two housing development. The allocations took place as the Ministry of Housing and Water held a ‘Dream Realised’ housing drive at the Watooka Guest House in Linden.
Lindener David Fletchman
Single mother of two, Deionna Nelson, was another allottee. She, too, applied in 2023 and had to make some changes to the information included in her application.
“It was kind of fatiguing but I managed to overcome the process.
“I feel extremely excited that I got through. I feel like I have reached a huge milestone… and for a person who is very young, I feel accomplished,” Nelson told the News Room.
Addressing those gathered, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, said that although the government has surpassed its target of allocating 50,000 house lots in five years, allocations have not stopped.
Instead, she said, recognising the ongoing need for housing, a plan was developed to address the existing backlog of applications.
“You have a government that has already promised there will be continuity in the housing sector because we have seen the demand.
“We believe in ownership. We believe in the housing sector’s ability to empower lives,” Rodrigues said.
Of the applications made since 2020, Rodrigues noted that 90 per cent were from low-income families.
“We have been able to significantly reduce the timeline between application and allocation,” she added.
The exercise is the third of its kind to be held in Region Ten.
Meanwhile, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said home ownership and access remain top priorities.
“It therefore means that in all these regions, the pending applications will be cleared in this current year of 2025 for all applicants who applied by December 31, 2024,” Croal said.
Apart from allocations, Croal said significant investments are being made to develop housing areas, with infrastructure works already under way to ensure that allottees can access their lots.
“We are providing land for you to be able to access your land,” Croal said.
Since 2020, some 1,800 individuals have been allocated house lots in Region Ten.
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