Prime Minister Announces 1500 New Housing Solutions in St. James

Giving credence to her Administration’s commitment to fostering an ownership society in Jamaica, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has announced that arrangements are almost concluded for a Joint Venture between the National Housing Trust (NHT) and a Private Developer to provide 1500 new housing solutions in St. James. The Prime Minister made the announcement during her keynote address at the Handing-Over Ceremony for Balaclava Heights Housing Development in St. Elizabeth on Wednesday, December 9. Mrs. Simpson Miller also disclosed that the NHT is concluding arrangements to provide Interim Financing for three housing projects located in the following parishes: Hanover, which will provide more than 1,000 new housing solutions; St. James, which will provide 244 housing solutions and 116 housing solutions in St. Catherine.

Mrs. Simpson Miller asserted that her Government will continue to deliver on the mandate to provide land and housing to the Jamaican people. “I think everybody accepts that the Government that I lead has a strong track record of delivering on the provision of housing. I will never apologise for making the ownership of land and housing a central feature of my Administration,” she emphasized. In this regard, she said that Government recently responded to some of the pressures that potential home purchasers were facing. “We reduced the interest rates for all new borrowers by one percentage point. We also increased the amount that can be borrowed for the purchase of newly-constructed houses. That loan amount was increased from a maximum of $4.5 Million to a new ceiling of $5.5 Million,” the Prime Minister outlined, noting that as a result of the policy changes, new constructions are on the increase.

Recently, the NHT announced plans to provide at least some 9,000 housing solutions over the next two years. The Prime Minister noted that for some of those projected solutions, the Trust will be involved directly as a developer. For others, she said it will be involved indirectly through the provision of financing to private developers. The NHT will also be providing mortgages to assist more Jamaicans to purchase houses constructed by these developers.

At the Balaclava Heights Housing Development in St. Elizabeth, the NHT handed over a total of 60 lots including serviced lots for housing construction and a number of agricultural lots to help boost agricultural production and the earning potential of the community. The Prime Minister urged the new land owners to take care of the community while paying special attention to creating a safe environment for children.