THE Government will be spending $350 million to construct 24 housing units at St Paul’s Lane in Tower Hill, St Andrew.

Programmed for completion by June 2023, Government said the housing project will significantly improve the living conditions of families in the area.

It is a collaborative effort involving the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), National Housing Trust (NHT), Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), National Water Commission (NWC) and Ashtrom Building Systems Limited.

It is part of a programme of integrated community development, which will include access to basic infrastructure such as roads, water and sewage systems, the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) reported.

Addressing residents during a sensitisation session in the community on Wednesday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that the Government is serious about transforming communities and the lives of Jamaicans.

“We are not just going to build new homes; we are going to put in pathways and a roadway. We are going to take down the zinc fences that have become such a symbol of urban blight and poverty… and replace them. We have already put some electricity infrastructure in place, and we are putting in the sewerage infrastructure to make sure you have a sustainable community,” he said.

The prime minister said that following completion of the units, work will commence on the construction of a golden age home and an infant school.

He indicated that land and funding have already been identified for the home.

As it relates to the infant school, he said that the facility, which will include a nursery, will be designed “to take all the children in Tower Hill, and so they will get free early-childhood education of the highest standard”.

The prime minister, JIS reported, told the residents that during the construction of the houses, temporary accommodation will be provided, which they will be required to vacate when the new units are completed.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said the St Paul’s Lane development will be used as a model for transforming other communities.

“I have other communities that I have my eyes on in which we will do this kind of redevelopment. The next one… is going to be Lime Tree Lane, that is, 110 Bay Farm Road, which is a set of housing that runs along the gully bank that intersects Bay Farm Road,” he said.

Holness urged the residents to take care of the new houses that will be provided and to use them to improve their lives.

The 24 houses will comprise 16 two-bedroom, one-bathroom units; eight three-bedroom, two-bathroom units; water, sewerage and drainage systems, among other things.