Housing Solutions Gelling Social Groups-Dr. Chang

Minister of Water and Housing, Honourable Dr. Horace Chang, says that in order to meet the needs of the country, the Government is ensuring that housing developments cover different social groups.
“In all of our efforts to build larger housing estates, we don’t intend to just look at one socio-economic grouping, all Jamaicans are ambitious, and we want to create a condition where we mix social groupings. We are building self-sustaining communities,” he stated.
Dr. Chang was outlining what, he said, is a move to make Jamaicans from all walks of life proud of their communities, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Luana Phase (III) Housing Development, St. Elizabeth, on Friday (July 24).
He added that the Government won’t be building large dormitory communities where, after a while, they deteriorate and become unattractive to persons who want to move up the social ladder.
“We are building communities that people will feel proud to live in: Those who get the lower cost houses will expand on them, and those who get the higher cost ones will stay and improve the community, making it vibrant and active,” he said.
He added that with 10,000 housing solutions to be delivered in this financial year through the National Housing Trust (NHT) and the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), the Government remains resolute that the goal of safe, adequate and affordable housing for all is attainable.
“The allocation of $1 billion from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) to improve infrastructure in informal settlements, the refining of the Public/Private Partnership Programme, which seeks to increase the number of housing stock through public/private sector collaboration, as well as the divestment of inner-city housing schemes, are testament to that commitment,” he stated.
The Luana (Phase III) Housing Development is slated to start at the end of July, and will take 12 months to complete. It will comprise some 49 starter houses and eight serviced lots, to accommodate informal settlers already occupying the site.
The entire development will provide some 2000 housing solutions.