KINGSTON, Jamaica – Several scheme developments in parishes across the island can now look forward to a brighter and smoother Christmas due to upgrades made in their communities under the National Housing Trust’s (NHT) Schemes Upgrade programme.

The project was announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in 2017. However, this year, a total of 16 communities saw modifications to include disaster mitigation works – inclusive of river training, sewage, water, roads and curbs and other infrastructure improvements.

In a statement on Friday, the NHT said it recognised the importance of assisting mortgagors with maintaining their communities to ensure that they remain in good condition and continue to provide a safe and comfortable living environment for residents.

“With this in mind, schemes initially identified under the project are NHT housing developments built between 1976 – 1986. Since its launch in 2017, the programme was expanded to include other government of Jamaica and NHT schemes in need of certain critical infrastructure upgrades,” the statement said.

Communities upgraded this year include Chippenham (Bamboo) Housing Scheme, St Ann, Charlemont Housing Scheme, St Catherine, Croft’s Hill Housing Scheme, Clarendon, Farm Heights Housing Scheme, St James, Fleet Street Apartments, Kingston, Frontier Housing Scheme, St Mary, Greenwich Acres Housing Scheme, St Ann, Hamilton Gardens Housing Scheme Phase 1, St Catherine, Hellshire Park Housing Scheme Phase 2, St Catherine, Iterboreale Housing Scheme, St Mary, Mountain View Apartments, Kingston, New Town (Hayes) Housing Scheme, Clarendon, Portsmouth Housing Scheme, St Catherine, Red Hills Pen Housing Scheme, St Thomas and Southborough Housing Scheme, St Catherine.

Delroy Dobney, president of the Hamilton Gardens Association, one of the schemes that benefitted from an upgrade in 2023 said, “This programme (Schemes Upgrade) is welcomed by the residents… we are of the opinion that it is well timed and well received.”

The programme has seen the completion of over 40 projects with a further 13 at different stages of completion across all 14 parishes. An amount of $2.5 billion was initially allotted for community upgrades under the programme.