PM cites lack of suitable lands to adequately address housing needs Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

In acknowledging that the demand for housing in Jamaica far exceeds the current supply levels, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has indicated that a lack of suitable lands for development is among the roadblocks being faced by the Government in its quest to adequately address the supply issues.

Holness is also pointing to a need for more local developers to embark on large-scale housing projects.

In addressing the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of 248 studio apartments at Howard Avenue in South West St Andrew on Wednesday, Holness said the Government is taking steps to address the current challenges relative to housing, pointing to the efforts of the National Housing Trust (NHT).

He said the trust continues to create more innovative ideas, projects and programmes, to provide more housing solutions that are affordable.

The 248 new studio apartments at Howard Avenue, said Holness, represents another story in the NHT’s quest to build affordable homes while addressing the needs for housing locally.

Still, the prime minister said several challenges exist, despite the efforts of the Government.

“It is one thing to say that everybody must get land and everybody must get house, but it is another thing to actually do it,” he declared

“We have a supply problem in housing, and the real supply issue is that… we don’t have enough readily available, developable land. That’s challenge number one,” the prime minister continued.

“… And I have taken some bold steps to get lands into housing. It has not been without its unfair share of criticisms, but we have taken positive steps in that regard to bring land into the housing market,” he added.

Holness on Wednesday pointed to the lack of housing developers as the second challenge facing Jamaica’s housing needs.

“The other shortage factor is that we do not have enough local housing contractors, developers that can take on housing developments at what I like to describe as enterprise scale.

“We need more housing developers who can take on housing estates in excess of 5,000 units per development. We don’t have many of those in Jamaica,” he stated.

“There are some other issues as well, but those are the two key ones that we have to address,” Holness indicated.

The development of the apartment units on Howard Avenue is a joint venture with Centauri Real Estate Company Limited (CREC) under the NHT’s Guaranteed Purchase Programme (GPP).

The complex is to include a children’s play area, drying yard, laundry area, roof garden, jogging trail and other amenities.

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