Government has endorsed two contractors to build mega housing projects with a combined value of $1.2 billion in St Catherine and Clarendon as part of a rural infrastructural development.

The contractors YP Seaton & Associates Company and Build Rite Construction have been endorsed by the National Contracts Committee (NCC) for contracts valued at $663.8 million and $620.3 million respectively, according to posting by the Office of Contractor General in late April which detailed March endorsed contracts. YP Seaton and Build Rite will construct 132 and 118 two bedroom houses respectively whilst also constructing roadways, installing water supply and storm water drainage systems.

The Observer tried unsucessfully–for one week–to acertain the project timeline and estimated retail price for the homes from the facilitating agency, the Housing Agency of Jamaica. The project funded via the National Housing Trust (NHT). The NHT is an organisation set up by the government of Jamaica to lend money at low interest rates to Jamaicans, develop low and medium cost housing schemes and offer low cost financing to private developers.

“I would not comment until the contract is signed,” stated a manager at Build Rite Construction who declined to comment further in order to respect protocol. The NCC has endorsed the contracts however the contracts await parliamentary approval.

Last September, the NHT committed to start construction on 12,000 houses over 18 months in six parishes at a total cost of $29 billion. Part of this development includes 288 lots at Hampden in Trelawny and 149 Stokes Hall in St Thomas; 746 houses now under construction at Union Estate; and 600 houses and 234 serviced at Longville Clarendon. At Perth in Manchester, 1,343 housing units and 257 serviced lots are planned for completion by September 2011. In St James, 148 serviced lots will be offered at Providence located near the upscale Ironshore community and at Bushy Park, Clarendon 67 studios, one and two-bedroom houses will be constructed. Under the Sugar Housing programme, the NHT will provide 402 serviced lots at Bernard Lodge in St Catherine, while at Frome in Westmoreland, 115 houses, consisting of 76 foundation-only starter units, are to be offered.

In October, the NHT had contracted Foote Construction for $199 million to begin infrastructure and construction works for housing lots at Hampdem Sugar Housing Development. Infrastructure development was slated to begin in November and last for a year. The NHT will begin planning the housing construction phase within a few months and construction should start about July 2010.