Gov’t subsidy for City House Improvements

Low-income homeowners in Bridgetown will now have a new facility to tap from government for their home improvements.
Minister of Housing and Lands, Michael Lashley disclosed the new initiative at a Town Hall Meeting at the National Housing Corporation compound.
According to government officials, The Garden Land in Country Road in St. Michael has been earmarked for a multi-million dollar upgrade.
The new initiative is part of the $40 million programme funded by the Inter-American development Bank. The launch of the new project has sparked a number of queries into the Ministry of Housing about Government’s subsidy for housing programme for low income earners.
The programme will also bring upgrades to the surrounding infrastructure. Speaking during a town hall meeting for the initiative, Mr. Lashley explained that the initiative would include upgrades to the sewage system and pumping station and close to 200 housing connections, and road resurfacing. He added that Garden Land is the first in the pilot project in which $5 million will be spent it includes provisions for 600 subsidies over three years.
Lashley encouraged homeowners, “If you want upgrades to your property, the $10,000 subsidy will be there to assist you. The programme is specifically targeted at families earning a combined income of just over $2,600 monthly. The subsidy will be paid directly to the building material suppliers on behalf of the homeowners. There will be a selection of the building materials supplier before the end of May, 2010.Residence of the area were concerned about natural gas and lightning.