Over 500 homes coming

Over 500 affordable housing lots are to become available by the end of 2021.

Resident Planner at the National Housing Corporation (NHC) Raymond Lorde outlined that within the next 12 to 24 months, lots in Lancaster Phase 3, St. James; Colleton, St. Lucy; Chancery Lane , Christ Church; Fairy Valley Ridge, Christ Church; Dodds North, St. Philip; and Dodds South, St. Philip would come on stream for housing.

“The first four already have planning consents with their detailed work being carried out by the NHC. The remaining are moving through the design process,” he stated, adding “When these communities are fully built, it is our belief that we would have placed on the landscape residential spaces that are not only environmentally resilient but also socially and economically robust.”

At the time, Lorde was delivering remarks on behalf of the Minister of Housing, Lands and Rural Development George Payne at the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and International Code Council Workshop on ‘Building Communities through Modern Building Codes’ at the SeaBreeze hotel in Maxwell.

Indicating the focus on building resilient infrastructure in this island, he stated the NHC was about to review a number of submissions made in response to its request for Proposals for the Affordable Resilient Housing Project.

“This project aims to bring resilience into our housing building operations and culture. Our designs and building methodology must as a cultural practice, recognise the dangers of where we live and plan accordingly. Home owners will be able to observe and require their artisans and craftsmen to utilise the best practices and codes,” he added.

He further stated the selected designs from the RFP will form the basis of type of open source knowledge-base where the public can view, learn and implement approved systems and methodologies.

“Our Ministry’s technocrats are of the [view] that apart from the building codes that are a necessary component in our readiness strategy, it must become a norm to once again integrate these building techniques into the housing stock and building culture,” he stressed. (JMB)