Government to Restart Inner City Renewal Programme

Government will be restarting the Inner City Renewal Programme, beginning next financial year.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, said the programme, which was suspended under the previous administration, has been reassessed and will restart in the 2014/2015 fiscal year.

Mrs. Simpson Miller made the announcement during her 2013/14 Budget Debate Presentation in the House of Representatives, on April 30.

[Read the Prime Minister’s 2013-14 Budget Presentation]

“No one can disagree that the Inner City Housing project has positively transformed the lives of persons in some communities, such as Monaltrie, Denham Town, Majesty Gardens and Trench Town,” Mrs. Simpson Miller said.

The project was established as part of an urban renewal project aimed at addressing the repair, refurbishment and upgrading of Downtown Kingston. Housing units completed under the project in the Corporate Area included: 94 units on Little King Street; 186 units at 88 Spanish Town Road; 256 units in Trench Town; 48 units in Monaltrie; 344 units on Block J, Denham Town; and 248 units at 231 Spanish Town Road.

She also revealed that the NHT will contribute $25 million to the Youth Upliftment Through Employment “YUTE Build” initiative, which is training 100 inner-city young people in construction-related disciplines. This is up from the $10 million allotted last year.

“We are preparing the young people of Jamaica to get up off the corner and to ‘Arise and Build’,” the Prime Minister said.

By Andrea Braham, JIS Reporter