By Douglas McIntosh
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – The National Housing Trust (NHT) is slated to spend a record $57.7 billion on the provision of housing solutions this year, said NHT board member, Nesta-Claire Hunter, the sum is the largest programmed expenditure in the entity’s 45-year history.
“This means construction of quality and affordable housing solutions at an even faster pace, with the possibility of even more Jamaicans being able to experience the joys of homeownership,” Hunter added.
She was speaking during the handover ceremony for the NHT’s Twickenham Glades housing development in St Catherine on Wednesday, December 1, where she represented board chairman, Lennox Channer.
Hunter also advised that the NHT has surpassed the minimum 23,000 housing starts that were targeted for delivery by March 2021.
“This year, we expect a further 8,500 housing solutions, and for the parish of St Catherine, the second-largest parish, we have another upcoming 3,984 housing solutions scheduled over the next three years. The NHT is also seized of the importance of facilitating the establishment of modern, suitable, safe, and functional communities,” she added.“This is why we have outfitted this community [Twickenham Glades] and [other similar] communities with certain physical infrastructure and social amenities as well as areas earmarked for community recreation.”
Hunter also underscored that it has become increasingly important “that we understand how we impact our world and that is why we have invested in research of alternative building materials to ease the burden on the environment and create more affordable housing solutions for our contributors”.
Noting that Twickenham Glades is an “expertly designed scheme”, Hunter said it is evident that significant time, commitment and effort were invested in transforming the land on which the development is located into the resulting community.
She pointed out that this would not have been possible without key partnerships and thanked the various stakeholders for contributing to the project’s realisation. Hunter said Twickenham Glades “already has the makings of a great community” and expressed the hope that “this space fills you [the beneficiaries] with pride whenever you think about home,” she added.
“I, therefore, encourage you to utilise the investment wisely to the benefit of yourselves, your families, your community, and your nation.”
Twickenham Glades, which comprises 110 two-bedroom single-storey duplex houses, was developed on five hectares (12.21 acres) of land located along the westbound side of Mandela Highway in Twickenham Park, St Catherine.
