Homeownership remains a top priority of the Government as thousands more Jamaicans received housing units, serviced lots, land titles and other benefits through programmes and initiatives. 

New Social Housing Programme 

• 180 homes have been handed over under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).  

New Houses/Serviced lots Handed Over  

• The National Housing Trust (NHT) handed over keys and documents for 1,134 housing solutions in four developments.   

• Keys were handed over for 348 additional units in other developments previously completed.  

Breaking of Ground  

• 144 housing units at a cost of $2.8 billion comprising 130 duplexes and 14 mixed-use units at Royal Estates, Tivoli Gardens, Kingston, under the Community Renewal Project. 

• 60 two-bedroom/one-bath housing units at a cost of $907 million in Sheffield Palms, Retreat, Westmoreland (Partnership with Sheffield Palms Limited under the Guaranteed Purchase Programme. 

Upgrading of NHT Schemes 

• 16 schemes were upgraded – Chippenham (Bamboo) in St. Ann; Charlemont, Hamilton Gardens Phase 1, Hellshire Park Phase 2, Portsmouth, and South-borough in St. Catherine; Croft’s Hill and New Town (Hayes) in Clarendon; Farm Heights in St. James; Fleet Street Apartments and Mountain View Apartments in Kingston; Frontier, Stockholm, and Iterboreale in St. Mary; and Red Hills Pen Housing Scheme in St. Thomas. 

Easier Access to Financing 

• The External Financing Mort- gage Programme (EFMP) was introduced, enabling contributors earning $30,000.99 or more weekly, as well as those who require additional financing, to access their NHT loan at one of 10 partner mortgage institutions. 

• Improvements were made to the Housing Micro-finance Loan Programme, allowing contributors to access financing from app-roved credit unions towards a wide range of housing-related expenses. 

The qualifying wage ceiling increased by 103 per cent to $86,000 weekly or less, up from $42,000 weekly or less.   

The facility’s maximum loan limit also increased to $1.95 million, up from $1.5 million. 

A total of 12 credit unions signed on to the programme. 

Increase in Loan Ceiling  

• An additional $1 million was available to contributors, representing a 15 per cent increase in the general loan ceiling from $6.5 million up to $7.5 million.  

• House Lot, Home Improvement, Ten Plus (10+) and Fifteen Plus (15+) loans moved from $2.5 million to $3.5 million. 

• The NHT made up to $8.5 million available to a single applicant (subject to afford- ability) when purchasing a unit on the Open Market costing $12 million or less. 

National Land Agency (NLA) 

• More than 254 residents of Manchester and St. Catherine received certificates of title for property they have occupied for several years under the Systematic Land Registration Programme.  

otable developments in these areas were:   

HEART/NSTA Trust 

• Tuition and administrative fees for programmes up to level four (associate degree) were waived on April 1. 

• Enrolment increased by 19 per cent. 

• Between January and Nov-ember, 119,641 students were enrolled, with 46,403 gaining certification. 

• 11,362 adult learners were enrolled under the High School Diploma Equivalency (HSDE) programme, with 3,147 adults being certified.  

• 7,653 persons were placed in short and long-term employment. 

• 44 trainee start-ups were approved for funding in the amount of $13 million. 

• 85 instructors were trained in emerging and labour market demand areas,          including drone technology, optoelectronics, wall and floor tiling and forklift       operation. 

• Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarships were provided to 123 beneficiaries. 

• 300 taxi drivers trained in customer service, occupational health and safety, conflict resolution, compliance with the rules and regulations of the traffic control system, performing vehicle inspection and accident-emergency procedures. 

• HEART, in support of the Social Housing Programme, constructed and handed over seven homes to beneficiaries under the Tiny House Initiative.  

• Four Centres of Excellence and two STEAM Labs opened at HEART institutions, in response to the growing trend towards       automation within all industries, including smart manufacturing, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of things. 

LIFT 

• Launch of  $2-billion Learning and Investment for Transformation (LIFT) programme that will benefit 2,500 students over the next five years. 

• The initiative targets fifth- and sixth-form graduates and provides sustainable avenues for education, employment and assimilation into society. 

Digitisation 

• Digital Jamaica, a €9.5-million programme aimed at increasing access to and use of information and communications technologies (ICT) to support the country’s transition to a digital economy and society was launched 

• 10 post offices have been modified to serve as National Identification System (NIDS) enrolment centres. 

The Government’s communication machinery was strengthened to reach Jamaicans across the length and breadth of the island, and to guard against misinformation and disinformation which can threaten democracy. Progress was also made on digital switchover. 

Communication Architecture and Synergies 

• Regular post-Cabinet press briefings were held as part of the Government’s res-ponsive and innovative communication infrastructure, fostering transparency, public engagement and trust. 

• Support increased for communications and public relations departments in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), through increased engagement, training and providing a collaborative environment for information sharing and strategic direction. 

Jamaica Information Service (JIS) 

• New JIS website (www.jis.gov.jm) and fact-checking platform (www.factcheckja.com) launched. 

• Establishment of a dedicated social media department covering a myriad of platforms, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, with an impressive outreach of more than 16 million online users between April and September. 

•  Renewal of the agency’s ISO 9001:2015 certification in September 2023. 

• Work began on establishment of St. Thomas regional        office. 

Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) 

• A Digital Media and Information Literacy (DMIL) Skills Framework was dev-eloped and submitted to OPM. This is in support of the Government’s vision of making Jamaica a Digital Society, 

• It consists of a Digital Competency Model; National Baseline/Benchmarking Data; and Implementation Methods and Mechanisms. 

• Various broadcasters commenced testing for digital switchover. 

• Work undertaken to establish a digital literacy skills framework to equip citizens, particularly children, to make better decisions when using the Internet. 

Access To Information (ATI) Unit 

• Upgrading of the ATI’s website whereby all ATI requests can be submitted and tracked. 

Jamaica Archives and Records Department (JARD) 

• Initiation of Records  and Information Management (RIM) systems in 58 public-sector entities under the GOJ RIM Programme. 

• Eight entities that have successfully implemented the manual component of the new Government of Jamaica RIM programme presented with certificates of achievement and plaques.