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Almost 63 per cent of Jamaicans lived in their own homes in 2008, reflecting a 2.9 per cent increase in home ownership over 2007.According to the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC) for that year, home ownership increased four per cent in the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA), and 4.9 per cent in rural areas, with the latter accounting for the...

The National Water Commission (NWC) has received approval from the Office of Utilities and Regulations (OUR) to commence work on the Duncans to Crawle pipeline project in Trelawny under the K Factor programme. This was disclosed by Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, during the sitting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday (December 14). Dr. Chang...

Chairman of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), Milo Pearson, says that the CCRIF has paid out approximately US$25 million to five countries in the region since 2010. CCRIF is a multi-country risk insurance pool, specifically designated to assist countries in the Caribbean, which has been operating against the background of a very active Atlantic Hurricane season, and the...

Ground was broken on Wednesday December 1, for a major housing development in the district of Holland, some two miles from Falmouth, in Trelawny. The project, which will be implemented by Zuccherina Developments (Jamaica) Limited, in collaboration with KENCASA Construction and Project Management Limited, both private sector interests, will see the construction of 1,385 housing solutions on some 78 hectares...

The 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially ends today, Tuesday November 30, 2010 however, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is reminding the public to continue utilizing best practices that can reduce risk and save lives as it relates to rainfall and flooding. With the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season now at an end focus should now be shifted...

Over the past 15 months, the National Housing Trust (NHT) has introduced new measures, allowing more qualified contributors an opportunity to access homes previously a challenge for them. Speaking on his monthly call in programme 'Jamaica House Live', on Wednesday November 24, Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, noted that the NHT has introduced "some remarkably innovative policies" aimed at...

About 100 houses are to be built in communities in Central and West Kingston under the pilot project to be undertaken by the government to address the problem of inadequate housing in inner-city communities. "We will be selecting sections of Central Kingston and West Kingston and that should be able to cover 80 to 100 (houses)," said Prime Minster, Hon....

The flood situation in the eastern Hanover districts of Pierces Village and Forrest, caused by Tropical Storm Nicole, has improved, with the water levels decreasing, while the water level in the district of Chigwell continues to rise. Many acres of the three eastern Hanover districts have been under water since the passing of the Tropical Storm earlier this month, which...

The Government has decided to extend its coverage under the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), to include the effects of flooding and periods of unusual rainfall, following discussions with the World Bank. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, told a press conference at his Ministry in Kingston on Friday November 19 that the extended facility...

The Jamaican Canadian Centre in Toronto came alive on Friday November 12, as hundreds of persons turned out for a concert to raise funds for victims of Tropical Storm Nicole. Torrential rains associated with the weather system, impacted the island from September 26 to 29, claiming 13 lives, and wreaking havoc on the country's road infrastructure, farms, and schools, resulting...

Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, has said that Caribbean nations must become more proactive in addressing climate change, given the region's vulnerability to natural disasters. "As planners we can no longer sit by and wait to carry out post assessments of hazards impact. We have to become more proactive, we have to anticipate...

Though some Jamaicans view selection for a National Housing Trust (NHT) home in much the same way they view the lottery, the NHT has assured that it takes a systematic approach to selection of candidates. Senior General Manager for Customer Relations Management at the Trust, Dr. Lanie-Marie Oakley Williams, says selection is done using the Priority Index Entitlement (PIE) system....