The National Housing Trust (NHT), in partnership with Gore Development Limited, will construct 2,064 housing units at Longville Meadows in Longville Park, Clarendon, under a modified Guaranteed Purchase Programme (GPP).

The multibillion-dollar development, located 9.7 kilometres from the Old Harbour town centre, will include 692 two-bedroom and 1,372 one-bedroom units.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness broke ground for the development during a ceremony last Friday (June 20).

In his remarks, Holness said Longville Meadows will become one of the most significant housing developments in the NHT’s history.

“We mark the commencement of the Longville Meadows Development, a bold strategic investment in housing, in infrastructure and, most importantly, in the dignity and future of the Jamaican people. What we are doing here… is turning a new page for thousands of families who will soon have a safe, secure, and modern place to call home. We’re also reaffirming our Government’s unwavering commitment to providing affordable housing opportunities and driving structured and sustainable development across Jamaica,” he stated.

The prime minister informed that the homes will be supported by a full suite of critical infrastructure, including proper roads with traffic signage, a potable water system, reliable electrical grid, storm water drainage system, and centralised sewage treatment facility.

Holness said this development will include green spaces and recreational facilities, which are essential components in promoting healthy lifestyles, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion.

He added that, “these amenities are part of our deliberate planning to ensure that Jamaicans live, not just in shelters but in communities of pride and purpose”.

“The Modified Guaranteed Purchase Programme that supports this project is a testament to the Government’s commitment to innovation in the housing sector. Under this modified GPP, both the NHT and Gore Developments have pooled their land resources to ensure a larger, more efficient development. This level of collaboration demonstrates what we can achieve when public and private sector work together towards a shared national goal,” Holness said.

The NHT’s journey in Clarendon began in 1977 and since then, the agency has delivered 9,000 housing solutions in the parish.

Over the next decade, the NHT plans to provide 9,000 additional housing solutions across the parish, including Longville IV, Sheckles II, and Hummingbird Meadows Phase II.

“Every home we build takes a family out of uncertainty and into stability. Every home we build moves a family from poverty to prosperity. It is no accident that this ground-breaking is taking place here in Clarendon. With its strategic location between Kingston and Mandeville, and its growing population and commercial activity, Clarendon is ripe for structured development. Through this project and others, we are making sure that Clarendon becomes a magnet for new investment and a model for sustainable growth,” Dr. Holness said.

“But as we grow our housing stock, we must also increase the efficiency of our public bureaucracy. Housing development does not take place in a vacuum. It requires coordination across ministries, agencies, local authorities, and regulators. That is why we continue to modernise permitting systems, digitise land-titling processes, and streamline approvals,” he added.

Meanwhile, managing director of Gore Developments Limited, Christopher Gore, stated that the Longville Meadows project aligns with the Government’s call for private developers to boost housing supply through public-private partnerships, aimed at reducing the national housing deficit and expanding access to affordable homes in the lower-income segment of the market.

“Our goal is to create affordable quality homes with the convenience of your own land space which will appeal to NHT contributors in Clarendon and surrounding areas, as there is a critical demand for affordable housing in this area,” he stated.

Gore noted that these lower-income and affordable housing solutions – together with ancillary facilities and supporting infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and recreational spaces – carry an estimated total value exceeding J$25 billion.

The project’s initial phase will comprise 564 stand-alone residential units on lands owned by Gore Developments Limited.

The second phase, under the modified Guaranteed Purchase Programme agreement, will be developed on lands currently owned by the Government – specifically the NHT and the minister of housing.

“When constructed, it will consist of an additional 1,500 lower-income housing solutions, which will be a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom stand-alone units. All of the houses in the Longville Meadows housing development, which is phase one, will be affordable to the NHT’s lowest contributor earners, featuring small but expandable homes of 370 to 400 square foot and lots of 2,500 square feet and larger,” Gore said.

“These are starter homes under the NHT’s mortgage benefits. We believe that everyone deserves a safe comfortable place to call home, and this development is a step towards making that dream a reality for more Jamaicans, satisfying the increasing demand for housing and ownership in the wider region of Freetown, May Pen, Old Harbour and the surrounding environs,” he added.

Gore Developments Limited will be responsible for the entire project from planning to handover, working in partnership with the NHT and all the relevant regulatory agencies, authorities and the Clarendon Municipal Corporation.

Phase one of the development is approved by all the relevant approval bodies. Phase two is projected to be fully planned and approved within nine months.

The NHT introduced the Guaranteed Purchase Programme in November 2018, through which developers conceptualise and execute their development plans, while the trust absorbs the market risk by purchasing units built.
This approach seeks to leverage private-sector efficiencies to deliver housing units at lower costs and within shorter timeframes, while shifting the bulk of implementation risks to the private partner.

The developers have sole responsibility for designing, implementing, maintaining and closing out the projects.

The completed units will be made available to NHT contributors using the trust’s financing options for which they have to be qualified.