Sugar Workers to Benefit from Housing Development in Hartlands

The Government of Jamaica has awarded a building contract valued at $101.5 million for the construction of houses for sugar workers in Hartlands in St. Catherine. The housing development is part of the Bernard Lodge Sugar Company Housing Project.
Minister of Information, Senator Burchell Whiteman, told Monday’s (Oct. 25) post Cabinet press briefing, that the work would be undertaken by M&M Jamaica Limited, and would include the provision of service lots, which would cost $395,000 and studio units valued at $850,000. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.
“The Sugar Company of Jamaica has provided 24 hectares of land for 475 housing solutions [and work to be carried out includes] .infrastructural work, the roads, the distribution mains for water including fire-fighting requirements, drainage system and mains for sewage collections,” he informed.
Mr. Whiteman said that since 2000, a concerted effort had been made, on the part of the government, to provide sugar workers with proper housing. The same year saw the genesis of a sugar workers housing programme through the collaboration of the National Housing Trust (NHT), the Sugar Producers Federation and trade unions representing sugar workers.
According to Minister Whiteman, “a memorandum of understanding was signed to provide housing solutions in nine sugar estates for people who are first time home owners and also NHT contributors.”