Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT will be providing more than 8,000 housing solutions in the parishes of St. Ann, St. James, Westmoreland and Hanover, during the current financial year.
Minister of Water and Housing, Donald Buchanan, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2005/06 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Wednesday last week.
Among the housing solutions to come on stream are the construction of 1,500 units at Shaw Park in St. Ann, as well as the creation of 234 service lots at Green Park and 64 service lots at Kings Land, both in the parish of St. Ann, said the Minister.
He said that the Jamaica Mortgage Bank would also be financing three housing developments on the north coast during this year. These are the Greenwich Estate in St. Ann, which will provide 130 units; Irwin Point and Mango Walk, both in St. James, which will provide 145 and 242 units respectively.
Minister Buchanan said the National Housing Development Corporation has targeted to come on stream in the tourism and bauxite expansion areas more than 6,000 housing solutions.
SHAW PARK GLADES
These include the construction of more than 900 houses in Belle Aire, 328 in Mount Edgecombe, 332 in Mammee Bay South, 267 in Shaw Park Glades, all in the parish of St. Ann.
Meanwhile, 2,368 houses will be built in St. James; 2,054 in Westmoreland; 138 in Hanover and 173 in Westmoreland, said the Minister.
"The construction of new houses is projected to take care of the demand that arises as a result of the formation of new families," said the Minister.
He also said the Housing Ministry would be continuing with the divesting of units owned by the Government and in order to provide security of tenure for the residents and to foster the creation of stable communities through pride of ownership.
He said that another 1,400 units would be divested in this financial year, while discussions were under way for the installation of infrastructure and the provision of security of tenure for some 1,000 families on two sites, the Buckshaven in Clarendon and Frazer's Content in St. Catherine.
The Ministry will also be providing security of tenure to more than 2,000 families through the acquisition of 29 properties in the areas of Waltham Park Road, Cassava Piece, Riverton City, Jackson Town, Mannings Hill Road and Hagley Park Road in St. Andrew.
