NHT project to involve 3 communities

THE NATIONAL Housing Trust (NHT) is spearheading a major squatter relocation project involving three parishes which should be in place by January 1, 2000.

Said to be the brainchild of NHT chairman, Kingsley Thomas, the project dubbed 'Relocation 2000' already has conditional commitment of at least $100 million from the Trust, with additional support being sought from other public and private sector entities.

The idea, which evolved from a recent visit to Venezuela by the NHT chairman, is likely to involve the relocation of three squatter communities, one each in St. James, St. Ann and the Corporate Area. The plan is to prevent a recurrence of squatting once the squatters are removed.

To effect this, commitments for lands are being sought from the Ministry of Environment and Housing; water supply from the National Water Commission (NWC); electricity from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo.); asphalt from Petrojam; site security and equipment management from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), and assistance in other areas from private sector interests.

Contacted on the matter yesterday, Mr. Thomas said: "It has not reached the state of completeness in terms of a plan. When it has reached that stage, the requisite announcements will be made."

However, the official submission he presented to the NHT Board last month, gave details of the plans, including justification for the NHT's nput, The Gleaner has learnt.

And Prime Minister P.J. Patterson announced the project to relocate 1,000 families living in squatter communities yesterday when he was speaking at the official handing over ceremony for units at Manley Meadows.

Of the budgeted $100 million, it is projected that 600 one-room, Food For the Poor, wooden houses, could be erected on concrete bases, with individual or clustered sanitary facilities. The deal would involve paved roads, water and electricity, each house to cost $120,000.

The beneficiaries of the units would be required to pay monthly mortgages of between $1,105 and $1,456, depending on the applicable interest rates.

Persons deemed destitute and unable to pay, are to be granted more affordable lease arrangements, with the units reverting to the NHT on their death, unless family members or friends opt to buy the units on behalf of the leaser.

So far, one major snag has emerged in that roughly 1,100 households overall, are estimated to be occupying the three communities planned for relocation. Another $70 million is therefore required to produce 500 more units, and the NHT has not yet decided whether it will foot the bill.

Additionally, there are differing views on whether the programme should involve concrete structures instead of the wooden houses, and over the matter of sanitary arrangements. Concrete units of the same sizes would cost significantly more.

At least one Member of Parliament is reported to have expressed concern about the likely loss of a sizeable number of his traditional supporters, which will result from the relocation.

In justifying the NHT's input, Mr. Thomas' submissions to the board said, "while the NHT's primary concern is with its contributors, as a corporate body it cannot remain immune to the plight of persons living under conditions of insecure land tenure and the problems associated with this ­ overcrowding and lack of privacy, exposure to environmental hazards, poor hygiene and lack of amenities."

A source close to the project said the gesture from the Trust represented "a gift in terms of our mandate to the nation, that some people who now live in conditions which are totally unacceptable in terms of human beings, will wake up on the morning of January 1, 2000, in a new environment."