Hope, security and opportunity

WEDNESDAY was one of the happiest days of Tyra Green’s life. A recipient of one of the 248 units in the Howard Apartments housing development, Green was one of the new homeowners who expressed gratitude to God, the National Housing Trust (NHT) and Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness for making homeownership possible. Many of the other homeowners expressed that before Wednesday, owning a home had been merely a dream for them.

“This is one of the most exciting moments for me,” Green told the Jamaica Observer. I applied just a couple of months ago then a list came out in the Observer and my name was on it. To own something is one of the greatest things.

It gives you a more comfortable environment for you to focus more going forward.” The Howard Apartments on Howard Avenue in St Andrew. (Photo: Garfield Robinson) For Michelle Bennett-Henry, the occasion was much more than receiving the keys to a house. She said it represents hope, security, opportunity, and the fulfilment of dreams, “which for many of us, once seemed beyond our reach”.

“We come from different walks of life and we are all hardworking Jamaicans who have made countless sacrifices to provide a better future for our families. Some are middle income earners while others never imagined that home ownership would one day become a reality,” she said. “Today, by God’s grace and the effort of those who believe in us, we stand here together as proud homeowners.“ The gated Howard Apartments, consisting of 248 apartments, sits inside two four-storey buildings on Howard Avenue, off Waltham Park Road in St Andrew.

The complex has paved roads, storm water drains, a potable water distribution network, a centralised sewage treatment system, and amenities including a clubhouse, an area for exercise, and a play area for children. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (left) hands over Ian Smikle’s keys to his unit at The Howard Apartments in St Andrew on Wednesday. Smikle was the first of 248 beneficiaries to receive his keys.

(Photo: Garfield Robinson) “A home is far more than brick and mortar. It is a place where children will grow, where families will gather, memories created and dreams will continue to flourish,” Bennett-Henry said. “It is a foundation upon which stronger families and stronger communities are built.” The development was undertaken through the NHT’s Guaranteed Purchase Pro…