PM Hands Over 113 Certificates of Possession for Lots in Balaclava

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, on Wednesday, December 10, handed over certificates of possession for 113 lots in the Balaclava Heights housing development in St. Elizabeth.

The 53-acre housing project, which is being undertaken by the National Housing Trust (NHT), comprises 110 residential lots and three agricultural plots.

The approximately 7,000 square feet housing lots cost between $2.1 million and $3.1 million, with the agricultural plots, which average about 6.1 acres, sold for $5.25 million.

The Prime Minister said the project is the fulfillment of a commitment made in her Budget presentation a few years ago to provide housing solutions for the people of Balaclava.

“Today, we are handing over serviced lots, which is an important step towards the ownership of a home. We are also handing over a few agricultural lots to help boost agricultural production and the earning potential of those who will acquire these lots,” she noted.

Mrs. Simpson Miller said the Government is determined to create an “ownership society” in Jamaica.

“I never apologize for making the ownership of land and housing a central feature. The Government will continue to deliver on the mandate to provide land and housing to the Jamaican people,” she said.

The Prime Minister cited the recent increase in the loan ceiling for new NHT borrowers from $4.5 million to $5.5 million, and a one per cent reduction in interest rates, as part of the effort to make own ownership easier and more affordable for Jamaicans.

She said the Government will be looking at extending the provisions to contributors, who have already benefited from a NHT solution.

The Balaclava housing project also includes a playing field, community recreational area, infiltration ponds, and a buffer zone.

Twenty-eight solutions in the scheme were made available to NHT contributors who are public sector workers, senior citizens, young adults, and persons with disabilities.