KINGSTON, Jamaica -The Housing Agency of Jamaica Limited (HAJ) will be spending $1.9 billion on the construction of additional houses and to provide serviced lots at the Luana Gardens-four, Phase-three housing development in St Elizabeth. 

This follows Cabinet’s approval for the award of a contract by the HAJ to Marshall Construction Company Limited, to construct 200 two-bedroom and one-bedroom detached units and 50 serviced lots.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with responsibility for Information, Robert Morgan made the announcement at Wednesday’s virtual post-Cabinet press briefing. 

He revealed that Cabinet also approved the award of a $1.7-billion contract for the construction of 142 semi-detached, two-storey, two-bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms units and six stand-alone housing solutions on 5.6 hectares of land at Reid’s Pen, St Catherine. The HAJ has awarded this contract to NF Barnes Construction and Equipment Company Limited.

In addition, Cabinet gave its approval for the HAJ to remove the 100 one-bedroom starter housing units from the Shooters Hill Project, renamed Hellshire View, and have them replaced with two-bedroom, one-bathroom units. This is in keeping with the approval of the Shooters Hill Joint Venture Committee to maintain the financial viability of the project and optimise the highest and best use of the location.

Meanwhile, the National Water Commission received Cabinet’s approval to award a contract to Jamaica Drip Irrigation Limited in the amount of $84 million for the Greater Mandeville Water Supply Improvement Project Phase 1B-3, Hopeton Road to Waltham Road Transmission Main Replacement in Manchester.