Call for private-sector partnership for more low-income housing

WESTERN BUREAU:

Housing Minister Dr Horace Chang says a private sector-government partnership is the only solution to address the problem of low-income housing in Jamaica.

"The Government itself will never have enough capital to build any one time," he explained at the ground-breaking ceremony for Phase Two of the Porto Bello housing development in Green Pond, St James.

"We are not going to have the fiscal space ... . We, therefore, have to bring in the private sector."

According to Chang, approxi-mately 15,000 houses would have to be built annually to satisfy housing needs, and the Government could not, by itself, meet that demand.

It is understood that the greatest need for affordable housing solutions is among 60 to 70 per cent of National Housing Trust contributors, and school leavers.

"For this reason, we call on more private investors to partner with us to fill this important gap and provide affordable housing for Jamaicans," Chang said.

The minister also revealed that the Government was in discussion with other private developers to look at "blocks of land across the island" to implement joint-venture projects such as the Porto Bello development.

The project is being implemented through partnership between the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) and Seal Investment Company Limited. Porto Bello Phase Two will see some 324 housing solutions constructed primarily for workers in the tourism industry.

Managing director of the HAJ, Joseph Shoucair, said the proliferation of informal settlements is born out of a failure to provide affordable housing solutions, but revealed that this was the first of several housing projects at various stages of development in St James.

According to Shoucair, his agency would be constructing 2,000 new houses in St James by the end of 2012, which is welcome news as the parish has at least 23 informal communities.