The Onderneeming Community Facility, a $180 million recreational complex in Region Three, was commissioned on Friday 16 October 2026 by Housing Minister Collin Croal. The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) built it under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), which is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The facility was handed over to the Malgre Tout/Meer Zorgen Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), and its chairman, Paul Ramrattan, received it. Vanessa Benn, the Minister within the Ministry of Housing, and Lorena Solorzano-Salazar, the IDB's Resident Representative, attended the ceremony, along with regional officials.

The grounds include a white-sand field, a basketball court and a children’s play area, and walkways run around the edge of the site. A multipurpose building and pavilion contains changing rooms, water storage and washrooms, including facilities for persons with disabilities. The grounds have an internal parking area, a security hut, perimeter fencing, sliding gates and access bridges. Solar-powered LED floodlights, external lighting, concrete drainage and landscaping complete the works.

Mr Croal used the occasion to review what the programme has delivered on the West Bank of Demerara. He said about $1.607 billion has been spent on housing support and infrastructure there. The work includes the rehabilitation and upgrading of roads, reinforced concrete drains and culverts, concrete sidewalks and the cleaning of earthen drains. More than 200 Core Homes have been handed over to beneficiaries, and 242 Home Improvement subsidies have been disbursed to help families improve their living conditions.

AHUAP itself has finished. The programme concluded in December 2025 with an overall budget of $5.8 billion and targeted low-income communities in Georgetown and the surrounding areas. Beneficiary areas included La Parfaite Harmonie on the West Bank, communities between Georgetown and Grove on the East Bank, and areas between Georgetown and La Bonne Intention on the East Coast. Nineteen communities between Mon Repos and Haslington were also covered. The stated aim was to improve access to essential infrastructure and housing conditions and to create more inclusive and sustainable communities.

Mr Croal told residents that the worth of development lies in the difference infrastructure makes to people’s lives, and that the Government’s building programme reaches into community facilities as well as the roads and housing it already delivers. He explained that community facilities encourage social interaction and recreation and give children, young people and families a safe place to spend time together. He asked residents to take ownership of the new complex and to keep it in good condition for future generations. He also called on the facility's Management Committee and the wider community to work together to keep it clean, safe and welcoming.

The IDB’s Resident Representative, Ms Solorzano-Salazar, confirmed that the bank remains committed to funding work that raises living standards and supports lasting community development. She said that even as technology changes how people communicate, physical spaces that encourage face-to-face interaction remain essential to stronger communities. She stressed that the long-term benefits of the investment depend heavily on proper maintenance and responsible use of the facility.

That point places the main responsibility with the NDC and the local management committee, which now own and run the site. The council will have to look after a complex that includes drainage, lighting, a pavilion with water storage and sports surfaces, and the quality of upkeep will determine how long the investment serves the area. The Ministry has not said what budget the council will have for that work.

For residents of Onderneeming and the surrounding communities, the facility adds a place for sport and community gatherings in a part of Region Three that has seen sustained housing investment. The Government describes it as part of wider efforts to improve infrastructure and widen access to adequate housing in low-income areas.

‍