Gov't says construction phase of modular housing programme underway

 

 

The government says the construction and assembling phase of the modular housing programme commenced last week and is progressing.

 

It says, in the coming weeks and months, the construction of bases and assembling of house section will be sufficiently advanced in order to commence the handing-over process to citizens affected by Hurricane Melissa.

 

Minister with Responsibility for Infrastructure Development as well as Land Titling and Settlements, Robert Montague, said his tour of western Jamaica in order to further assess progress made concerning the project, which had been set for last week, has been rescheduled for this week.

 

He said the project has encountered some delays, but it is now expected to move apace in short order. 

 

"The project is ongoing and will be rolled out in phases, because we are following the guidelines and the guardrails, governance guardrails that are set out in law. And as we try to strike that balance between the urgency of building out the units and abiding and observing our governance guide laws, we ask for patience and understanding," said the minister.

 

He said there was a temporary delay due to global shipping challenges surrounding the Chinese New Year and subsequent logistics constraints, all of which have been fully resolved by the government.

 

Additionally, the government said continuous assessments have had to be undertaken to confirm land tenure and consequential suitability for construction.

 

Approximately 1,500 modular houses are in Jamaica and an additional 1,000 units are to arrive by the end of this month.