Jamaica Hosts World Habitat Day Expo on October 5

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development will host a World Habitat Day Expo on Monday, October 5, to showcase Jamaica’s housing sector and provide members of the public with access to information and experts on housing matters.

The one-day Expo will be held at The Summit in New Kingston, beginning with an opening ceremony at 9:00 a.m., followed by the unveiling of the exhibition at 10:00 a.m. It will run until 4:00 p.m.

Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on Wednesday, (September 23), Senior Director of Housing Policy, Research and Monitoring at the Ministry, Paula Parkes, said the event will bring together stakeholders from across the housing sector under the theme ‘Adequate Shelter for All’.

She said the Expo will provide an opportunity for members of the public to engage directly with representatives from various organisations involved in housing.

“It will not only include the Ministry and its agencies, but also academia. We will have representatives from the University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Technology (UTech), and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM),” she noted.

She said that other participating entities will include the National Housing Trust (NHT) and the Jamaica Mortgage Bank, among others.

In addition to exhibition booths, the event will feature panel discussions on issues such as housing demand, equity and affordability.

Quantity surveyors and members of academia will also participate in discussions and share information on housing matters.

Ms. Parkes encouraged members of the public to attend the Expo and take advantage of the opportunity to interact with housing stakeholders and have their questions answered.

She said the event forms part of Jamaica’s participation in the global observance of World Habitat Day and is intended to support collaboration towards increasing access to adequate housing.

During her presentation, the Senior Director mentioned that adequate shelter extends beyond having a roof over one’s head to include access to basic services such as water and sanitation, as well as suitable location, space and resilience to natural hazards.

She told JIS News that she is looking forward to participation from the public “and also for us to collaborate as we work together to achieve the goal of access to adequate housing for all”.

World Habitat Day is observed annually on the first Monday in October.