Housing Agency to Sell Unfinished Units in Oak Glades

Approximately 70 unfinished housing units in Oak Glades,South West St. Andrew are to be sold, informed Minister with responsibility for Housing, Hon. Dr. Morais Guy.

The units were started over 10 years ago by the National Housing Development Corporation, now the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) Limited.

Minister Guy, who was speaking with JIS News following a tour of sections of the constituency on March 28, with Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, said the unfinished units are to be sold to residents and persons,who had made deposits.

“A decision has been taken to sell the unfinished units to potential buyers or depositors and they will be responsible for finishing the infrastructure and by extension to move in,” he said.

He noted that a community group has identified potential buyers from within the area, who are working with the HAJ.

Dr. Guy told JIS News that the tour gave a firsthand account of some of the measures, which need to be implemented in the constituency, with regards to infrastructural upgrading.

Mrs. Simpson, who is the Member of Parliament for the area, had asked the Housing Ministry and the HAJ to quickly assess what action can be taken to help improve housing needs. 

The Minister said that residents in other sections of the constituency will also be given preference in purchasing the unfinished units.

“The housing stock in the rest of the constituency is in dire need of upgrading and these units that are incomplete will be offered to persons, who live in Majesty Gardens from those areas where the stock is unacceptable,” he said.

The touring party also included technical persons from the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, and from the HAJ.

The communities that were visited were: Majesty Gardens, Whitfield Town, White Wing, Coal Lane and other areas of Spanish Town Road in Kingston.

The HAJ is a land/ housing development company providing shelter solutions.  It is a wholly owned government company formed in 1998 through the merger of three entities; namely Caribbean Housing Finance Corporation Limited (CHFC), National Housing Corporation Limited (NHC) and Operation PRIDE.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter