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By Rochelle Williams
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – The National Housing Trust (NHT) is shifting focus towards large-scale master plan developments that can deliver housing at the scale Jamaica requires, says Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness, the next major project in this regard is the Greater Innswood development in St Catherine, which will serve as a model of integrated planning and execution.
“This is the direction in which Jamaica must go. Not small, fragmented interventions, but coordinated large-scale interventions. Not just housing units but communities. Not just small developments, individualised and incremental, but planning at scale, coordinated and integrated,” Holness said.
The prime minister was addressing the NHT’s 50th anniversary thanksgiving service on April 19 at the Webster Memorial United Church in Kingston.
In the coming financial year, the NHT will invest approximately $50 billion in housing solutions alongside an additional $21 billion in subsidies to support affordability.
“That level of investment is ambitious but necessary because, let us be clear, Jamaica’s housing challenge is a matter of supply,” the prime minister said. He noted that the Trust currently manages more than 41,000 housing solutions across the island, including approximately 10,700 under construction, nearly 6,000 at the contract stage, more than 11,500 in procurement and 11,600 in planning and design.
“New developments such as Longville Meadows in Clarendon, and Friendship Phase II in St Elizabeth, together, delivering over 2,800 housing solutions are already under way,” Holness said.
The developments are being done with resilience in mind, the prime minister noted:
“That means stronger building standards. It means better land-use planning. It means relocating developments away from high-risk zones, and it means ensuring that every new home built today can withstand the realities of tomorrow.”
Importantly, Holness said the NHT is ensuring that this transformation is inclusive.
“We are expanding access to those who serve and sustain our society – teachers, nurses, firefighters and members of our security forces will now benefit from reduced mortgage rates, recognising both their service and their need for stability,” the prime minister continued.
Prime minister Holness said young Jamaicans will also see increased opportunities, as 20 percent of NHT housing solutions will now be reserved for persons under age 35. The increase, he noted, is double the previous allocation, with up to $2 million available to assist with deposits. For existing homeowners, access to improved financing has been accelerated, ensuring families can maintain, upgrade and expand their homes more easily.
Notably, prime minister Holness highlighted the “central and defining role” the NHT has played in hurricane Melissa recovery efforts:
“In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, the NHT moved decisively as an active agent of national recovery. A special disaster relief grant of up to $500,000 was made available to the most vulnerable – pensioners, low-income households, and also those unable to take on additional debt.”
The NHT has also procured 2,500 semi-permanent housing solutions at USD 19 million for families that had lost their entire home.
In addition, a hurricane relief loan of up to USD 3.5 million was introduced at concessional interest rates of just two per cent, enabling Jamaicans to not only repair but to upgrade, reinforce and to rebuild to higher standards of resilience.
“Housing is not an isolated sector. It is the foundation of a functioning society, and that is why the work of the NHT is so central, not only to recovery but to Jamaica’s long-term development. As we reflect on 50 years, we must recognise that this institution has evolved from a housing provider into a national development engine,” prime minister Holness said.
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