PM Breaks Ground for Luana Gardens Phase 4

Ground was broken on Wednesday (September 23) for Phase 4 of the Luana Gardens housing development in St. Elizabeth.

The initiative is being spearheaded by the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) and represents an investment of $3.7 billion.

The project will deliver 337 new housing solutions, consisting of 140 two-bedroom houses and 197 serviced residential lots.

It will also feature supporting infrastructure such as paved roadways, water, electrical, and a modern centralised sewage plant.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the initiative is a critical step towards ensuring that more Jamaicans have access to safe, affordable, and sustainable housing solutions.

“We are fundamentally changing the model of how public housing is delivered in this country. Our goal is not merely to build structures but to establish a transparent, efficient, and self-sustaining ecosystem that expands opportunities for Jamaican families to secure titles, own property, and build wealth,” Dr. Holness said.

Prime Minister Holness also pointed to the financial turnaround at the HAJ, noting that profits generated by the public entity are being reinvested in housing and supporting infrastructure to expand its capacity to undertake additional developments.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister disclosed that the Government is exploring whether residents who chose to relocate from nearby Parottee, which was affected by hurricane melissa, could be offered access to housing lots within the planned development at Luana Gardens.

Dr. Holness said the relocation would be managed via community dialogue, assuring that there is no intention to dispossess the people of Parottee of their land, livelihood and their homes.

“We are securing alternative lots to protect our citizens from the realities of escalating climate risk. But let it be clear, this Government will not dispossess our people. We are offering a planned transition to safe, sustainable ground,” he stated.

The Prime Minister said he has directed the leadership of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) to engage the HAJ in securing a certain number of lots that could be made available to the people of Parottee, who chose to relocate.

The Luana Gardens Phase 4 project is scheduled to be completed within a 30-month period.

However, Dr. Holness said he will be meeting with the HAJ, NaRRA, the building contractor, and other key stakeholders with a view to significantly reduce the timeline for completion.

Serviced lots under the project, are slated to hit the market at a starting price of $7 million, targeting first-time buyers and lower-to-middle-income families.