“Today we are in Mount Nelson in Manchester to deliver a trailer load of houses for the people of Manchester.”

-Prime Minister Holness

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Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says his administration is on track to deliver a high volume of affordable housing solutions.

Dr. Holness on Friday (March 7) broke ground for the latest suite of solutions set to benefit the people of central Jamaica and in particular Manchester.

The Mount Nelson housing development in Manchester, marks a significant milestone in the Government’s plan to increase homeownership opportunities for Jamaicans.

Prime Minister Holness emphasized that the housing sector is progressing at an accelerated pace.

“We are now back on track and the housing train is rolling out very strongly. And today we are in Mount Nelson in Manchester to deliver a trailer load of houses for the people of Manchester. So, I urge you to keep faith. I urge you to be optimistic.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged the concerns of many Jamaicans who are still seeking homeownership.

“There are many Jamaicans who are still very much worried and concerned, indeed disturbed, that they can’t get a house. And at the same time, we must acknowledge that the NHT and the private market have been delivering housing consistently.”

Dr. Holness further underscored the government’s objective to scale up housing construction, engaging the NHT, the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), and the New Social Housing Programme to rapidly increase the number of units being built.

Looking ahead, the NHT has ambitious plans to expand the Developers Programme between 2025 and 2030.

Upcoming projects include:

• Gallina in St. Mary (360 units)
• Friendship in St. Elizabeth (543 units)
• Barrett Hall in St. James (1,565 units)
• Greater Bernard Lodge/Catherine Estates (580 units)
• Dry Valley in Trelawny (1,560 units)
• Luana in St. Elizabeth (360 units).

In total, 4,968 units are already in active development.

“These programmes are on the train track. Yes! They are rolling out and they’re going to come one behind the other. And believe me, I will be there to greet every train stop on the housing development,” the Prime Minister assured.

To meet Jamaica’s growing demand for affordable housing, the Government is focused on significantly expanding the scale of housing projects.

“What the Ministry of Housing is doing, along with the NHT as its main implementing arm, is to build at least 15,000 housing solutions per year. That’s what we’re trying to do. And since 2016, we have reformed many institutions and created new ones,” stated Prime Minister Holness.

The government has committed to construct 70,000 housing units within the next three to five years, leading to greater market stability and affordability.

The Mount Nelson housing development in Manchester is part of the NHT’s Developers Programme, a strategic initiative aimed at increasing the supply of high-quality, affordable homes.

Under this programme, the NHT has engaged Henan Fifth Construction Group Jamaica Limited to deliver 1,468 one and two-bedroom detached units and serviced lots, which will be made available to NHT contributors.

An additional 290 units will be at the discretion of the Henan Group.