Ground Broken for $44m Wakefield Mews Housing Development in St. Catherine Under NSHP

Ground was broken on Wednesday (July 16) for the construction of housing units for six families previously living in substandard conditions in Wakefield District, Buxton, St. Catherine.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, led the contract signing and ground-breaking ceremony for the Wakefield Mews Housing Development.

The project, valued at $44 million, will be constructed under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

The development, which will comprise three 2-bedroom and three 3-bedroom units, is slated for completion in January 2026.

In his address, Dr. Holness emphasised that the development will transform what was once a “big yard” or tenement settlement into proper housing for six distinct households.

“So the families who were living in really substandard circumstances, each will have a unit or an apartment for themselves, which will be properly titled, and everybody will be able to say – ‘I own somewhere’,” he affirmed.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the housing units – funded by Jamaican taxpayers – will be provided to the beneficiary families at no cost.

“It is a trade-off from the taxpayers to say, ‘if we improve the housing conditions of the people of the country, particularly the most vulnerable and the most needy, then we will reduce the number of households out of which criminals come, out of which people who act in antisocial ways come, out of which people who practise unhealthy lifestyles come’,” Dr. Holness stated.

He pointed out that 14 children will benefit from the Wakefield Mews Housing Development.

“So it is by improving housing that we support the reduction of crime, that we improve the chances of the 14 youngsters in this household to do better at school,” the Prime Minister stated.

He further noted that adult beneficiaries will have a responsibility to ensure the children in their households use their improved living conditions to achieve better outcomes in school.

“When we give these houses over, we expect the beneficiaries to sign a social contract to say, ‘we are going to ensure that we use the house for the purpose given [which is their residence] and we’re going to make sure that our children and everybody else do well… be decent law-abiding citizens who participate and support the development of the community’,” Dr. Holness underscored.

He indicated that the NSHP is now delivering at least 10 homes to needy families each month, noting that the Government is actively working to scale up delivery.

“We want to be delivering in the region of between 20 and 40 homes per month,” Prime Minister Holness said.

In his remarks, Minister of Health and Wellness and Member of Parliament for St. Catherine West Central, Dr the Hon. Christopher Tufton, noted that the beneficiaries have expressed deep gratitude for the assistance being provided.

“The facility that will be developed here is going to be well worth the wait, and it’s going to put you in a modern facility, in a community where you can live, be happy [and] grow your children,” he assured the families.

Speaking on behalf of his fellow recipients, Lushane Williams thanked the stakeholders that collaborated to make the Wakefield Mews Housing Development a reality.

“Today marks, not just a ground-breaking of land, but the laying of the foundation for a new beginning, renewed hope and a brighter future. We are confident that this step taken today will open new doors of opportunity, strengthen family roots and uplift generations,” he said.