Holness links crime delays to Vineyard Town NHT handover as 14 units delivered

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the handover of 14 studio apartments at the Vineyard Town Housing Development in St. Andrew marks a major step for new owners and shows how crime can hold back building projects. The National Housing Trust handed over eight units at 2A Central Avenue and six at 73 Third Avenue. Each apartment offers about 430 square feet of living space, with a fitted kitchen, bathroom, balcony and shared amenities including a gazebo.

Speaking at the ceremony, Holness said construction began in 2017 after an earlier period of planning and approvals, but the contract had to be terminated by 2021. He said there were contractor issues, but added that violence and extortion in the community also made the site difficult to work on, delaying the project for nearly nine years. He argued that Jamaica's reduction in murders over the last three years, heading into a fourth, is already bringing practical benefits by making it easier to complete developments in areas once affected by gangs.

The prime minister also addressed concerns raised by St. Andrew South Eastern MP Julian Robinson, who said rising land values and developer interest in Vineyard Town could eventually price residents out of their own community. Holness said the Government is alert to that risk and pointed to several NHT measures meant to widen access. They include an advanced deposit policy for contributors aged 35 and under, a home resilience loan of up to $3.5 million at 2 per cent, a five-plus loan window, a 1 per cent rate cut for qualifying public-sector workers, and a rule reserving 20 per cent of units in NHT developments for people 35 and younger.

NHT board director Sujay Boswell, speaking on behalf of chairman Lynville Freeman, said the advanced deposit policy took effect Wednesday and allows eligible young contributors to access up to $2 million from an approved NHT loan to help with a deposit. He also said Vineyard Town owners will be able to sell their units back to the NHT if they later outgrow them.

Holness said Jamaica's main housing problem remains supply, not demand. He said the administration set a five-year target of 70,000 housing solutions, with 42,000 assigned to the NHT. According to the prime minister, the trust had recorded about 31,540 housing starts and 21,166 completions by the end of 2025, and plans to start another 10,675 solutions in the 2026-2027 financial year while bringing 5,673 to market. He also urged small landowners to use the NHT small developers programme for projects of five to 25 units, or up to 50 rooms, aimed at low-income and affordable housing.