Developer and businesswoman Angella Whitter, says building housing solutions for low-income workers for prices they can afford remains a key area of concern in the tourism capital Montego Bay.

“One of the basic needs of every human being is to have a place to rest their head at nights. Every parent’s role is to ensure that they provide a good base to raise their family,” Whitter, who is also a major landowner, noted. “That said, Montego Bay has not been able to develop in a structured manner because most communities have not satisfactorily prepared themselves for the need to find adequate homes for the ever-growing population.”

Whitter, in noting that the tourism capital “has grown leaps and bounds in every sector imaginable”, added that the net result has alarmingly brought on an increase in informal settlements “all over the place”. She noted that even developments that were built within a structured framework, have now been partially and inadvertently forced into informal settlements.

“What readily comes to mind are developments such as Bogue Village, Rose Vale, Ryne Park, Granville, Irwin Meadows, West Village,” Whitter added.

She added: “These developments were planned and executed. However, if you drive through any one of these developments today, it looks chaotic. The roadway and other infrastructure are inadequate to deal with the number of traffic that goes into and out of the communities. This is a challenge. This has caused a significant issue with productive time because persons are held up in traffic to and fro, in order to go about their daily business.”