Gov’t To Launch Design Competition For Low-Income Housing Market
By: , July 31, 2020
Photo: Yhomo Hutchinson
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (second left), joins in cutting the ribbon to officially hand over a three-bedroom house to Melissa Smith (centre), in Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine, on Thursday (July 30). Others (from left) are Member of Parliament for South West St. Catherine, Hon. Everald Warmington; Councillor for the Old Harbour South Division, Lloyd Grant; and Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Doreen Prendergast.The unit was provided under the Government's social housing programme.
Photo: Yhomo Hutchinson
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Honness (second left), joins in the cutting of the ribbon at the official handover of a two-bedroom house to Kemoy Thomas (second right) in Bartons, St. Catherine, on Thursday (July 30). Others (from left) are Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Doreen Prendergast; and Member of Parliament for South West St. Catherine, Hon. Everald Warmington. The unit was provided under the Government's social housing programme.
Photo: Yhomo Hutchinson
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right), tours a two-bedroom house in Bartons, St. Catherine, which was offcially handed over to Kemoy Thomas (left) on Thursday (July 30) under the social housing programme.The Full Story
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government will be launching a design competition, where building professionals will be invited to come up with affordable housing solutions to meet the needs of the low-income market.
“We are going to be calling on our engineers and our architects to come up with engineering designs, architectural designs and material selections that would see a lower cost but high-quality solution that we can use and replicate right across Jamaica,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that when the various input costs are factored into the construction process, it becomes unaffordable for many persons, but argued that “you can get these costs down by improving the technology”.
He said further details of the design competitive will be announced in a week.
“There are many creative engineers, architects, and builders, who would want to participate in such a competition. We have the talents and the skills to be able to deliver these kinds of housing solutions at the highest quality and at the best price possible,” he added.
Mr. Holness was speaking at a ceremony in Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine, on Thursday (July 30), for the handover of two more units under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme.
The houses, a three-bedroom and a two-bedroom, are part of the social housing initiative to provide shelter for the indigent.
It will benefit persons who do not have an income and would not have a chance to purchase a house on the open market.