THE National Housing Trust yesterday awarded almost $3 million in prize money to winners of its Best Schemes Competition for 2010/2011.

The top prize went to Angels Grove, a community on the outskirts of Spanish Town, St Catherine, which beat out a field of 12 finalists and was rewarded with $1 million.

Delacree Park in Kingston placed second and was awarded $600,000, while Mineral Heights in Clarendon received the $400,000-third prize.

In addition to the national prize, Angels Grove placed first in region two — Clarendon and St Catherine, except for Portmore — won in the culture category and was one of two communities where the Trust found there were no mortgage arrears. The other was Greenwich Acres in St Ann.

For edging out the other 37 communities in its region, Angels Grove was awarded an additional $100,000.

Other regional winners were Llandilo in Westmoreland, Boscobel in St Mary, and Greenwich Acres in St Ann.

Llandilo represented region one — Trelawny, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth and Manchester; Boscobel is in region three — Kingston and St Andrew, St Thomas, St Mary, and Portland; and Greenwich Acres is situated in region four — Portmore in St Catherine and St Ann.

The competition seeks to build civic pride, community spirit and self-reliance and communities were judged according to environmental, cultural, educational, health, and governance criteria, as well as the currency of their mortgage payments.