Deteriorating urban housing schemes to get Gov’t help

THE Government will make allocations in the next national budget for the launch of a comprehensive rehabilitation, repair and maintenance programme targeting deteriorating housing developments in Kingston Western and other urban communities. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness made the announcement during the Certificate of Possession Handover Ceremony at the Tivoli Gardens Community Centre in Kingston last Wednesday. He said the decision to implement the programme follows a recent tour of several Kingston Western communities, during which he personally observed severe structural deterioration in housing units.

Holness noted that many of the high-rise apartment buildings were constructed 50 to 60 years ago using precast and cast-in-situ concrete methods and are now approaching the end of their useful life. The prime minister pointed out that many units face critical safety risks including compromised steel due to water infiltration; crumbling concrete; and failing sewerage, plumbing and electrical systems. “There are several other housing schemes like that, where that danger is a clear and present one, so in the next budget we will make an allocation to start a serious rehabilitation, repair and maintenance programme for these housing schemes,” Holness said.

He advised that the upcoming programme will address safety concerns associated with modifications made by residents to accommodate modern living — such as placing water tanks on roofs and installing air conditioning units — to ensure that structural and electrical systems can safely support modern amenities. The prime minister informed that while a 2018 directive previously enabled the National Housing Trust (NHT) to rehabilitate schemes aged 30 years and older, non-NHT developments, such as those in Kingston Western, were excluded from the programme. The new initiative is expected to bridge this gap, extending vital Government assistance to communities previously excluded from such support.

“I think we are at the point now where we cannot continue to have these houses standing without a serious programme of intervention,” Holness emphasised.