More houses for low-income earners

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the National Housing Trust (NHT) is moving to support all strata of the housing market, particularly low-income earners, to ensure more Jamaicans benefit.

The Prime Minister said that the government has created the income contingency policy, which focuses on directing NHT benefits and other government subsidies towards Jamaicans earning at the lowest level. This will make more houses available to citizens by way of the adjusted NHT loan policies and the New Social Housing Programme.

Speaking last Wednesday at a New Social Housing Programme Handover Ceremony in Southwest Clarendon, Prime Minister Holness encouraged citizens to educate themselves on the policies and initiatives of the NHT.

“I want to encourage all Jamaicans, regardless of your circumstances, regardless of how you may feel that we may never be able to own a home, I want to encourage you to have faith, I want to encourage you to think positively. If you are really interested in acquiring a home, the first thing that you want to do is start to save. No matter how small it is, put aside something and then after that, make sure that you are a registered NHT contributor. Those are two important things because your Government is structuring the NHT in such a way that there will be a benefit there for you to be able to own a home.”

He added: “The market by itself is able to deliver middle to high-income houses, but the market by itself is not able to deliver middle to lower income to low-income housing. What the Government is doing is going into the market and supporting the market, meaning the private developers and others to build houses that you can afford and to give you the subsidy, the support according to your income so that you can become a homeowner.”