Six years after the National Housing Trust (NHT) developed and sold houses and serviced lots at Phase 2 in the Longville Park Scheme in Clarendon, residents of that parish are eagerly anticipating the development of Phase 3. Work on this phase is scheduled to begin next month and end in May 2011.
When complete, Longville Phase 3 will provide an additional 834 housing solutions for NHT contributors living and working in Clarendon. The solutions will consist of 100 studios, 180 one-bedroom and 320 two-bedroom units, as well as 234 serviced lots.
What the people wanted
“We conducted exhaustive surveys. We listened to the voices of people who already live in the community as well as to those who wish to live there, and decided on a mix of studio, one and two bedroom houses and serviced lots,” says Michael Taylor, Assistant General Manager, Project Management. Phases 1 and 2 at Longville provided a mix of studios and serviced lots only.
“It is amazing what people have done with the solutions they got six or seven years ago,” says NHT’s Clarendon Branch Manager, Judith Thompson.
“In the very early stages, sales were slow, but once people learned of plans for the highway, and when they saw what others were doing in the area, the enormous potential of the community dawned on everyone. As soon as we finished selling, persons began asking about Phase 3.”
Even as some cast their sights on Longville, others in the parish are considering the options at Bushy Park, a development located off the May Pen to Chapleton main road. The NHT plans to develop 67 studio, one and two-bedroom units in this area.
Construction starts soon
“Construction will start November and by July 2010 we should be winding down and getting ready to sell,” Michael Taylor says. Bushy Park will be close enough to May Pen to benefit from all the commercial and social amenities of that town. The scheme will have its own recreational space.
The two Clarendon developments are part of a larger three-year housing thrust, which will see 12,000 solutions being started by the NHT by 2012. Other parishes in which the NHT will be starting housing construction before year-end are Manchester, St. Catherine, S. Thomas, Westmoreland, Trelawny and St. James.
If you need any further advice on buying your NHT Scheme house, call or visit the NHT office nearest you. You may also get information about applying for scheme units by visiting this link: http://www.nht.gov.jm/nhtonln.nsf/0/D76F0D97ECFD00C7082573B1004AC826?OpenDocument
We would love to hear from you. Write to us at feedback@nht.gov.jm. You may also visit our website at: www.nht.gov.jm.
