Housing Policy

​Housing Policies

Recap: What are population policies?​

​Objectives

​At the end of this lesson students should be able to:

1. Have an understanding of zoning

2. Aims of Caribbean governments campaign

3. Issues relating to housing that needs to be addressed​

​Understanding Zoning

(192) Zoning 101 - YouTube

What did you learn from the video above on zoning?​

Zoning is the process of municipal laws or regulations regulating the type as well as the size of buildings that can be erected and activities undertaken in specific areas.

Source: ​What is zoning | Local Authorities of Jamaica

​What is zoning?

​

​Caribbean governments have embarked on a housing policy campaign to:

1. Improve​ and upgrade the housing stock and services in existing slums and squatter settlements

2. consider ways of accommodating further urban growth by making land and rents more affordable to low income families. ​

Housing stock means housing units that are leased to members of the public and or members of staff as well as housing sub -sidised units that are earmarked for disposal to qualifying beneficiaries.

​Issues that need to be addressed in order to carry out housing policies:

1. The lack of enforcement of laws and regulations governing squatting and illegal constructions.

2. The problem of existing slums cannot just be solved by upgrading the units, and providing roads and a more reliable water and electricity supply. Why do you think squatting arise?

3. The need for development programmes for rural areas. ​

4. Zoning restrictions need to be enforced. ​

5. Improve access to self-helphousing schemes. Self-help housing offers home owners flexible, long-term financing to complete their homes.

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Low-density housing means less crowding, more privacy. It also means fewer vehicles, more open spaces, and an environment that’s much, much cleaner and healthier. High Density Housing means Residential Buildings containing seven or more Dwelling Units.

​Housing in Jamaica

• The Jamaican government sought to increase the housing stock in the 1960s as industrial expansion in the capital city encouraged rural-urban migration.

• Housing schemes like Tivoli Gardens and Olympic Gardens were built in this era for housing workers.

• Government housing was still relatively expensive even though costs were subsidized as a low-income worker could not even afford a one-bed room apartment in Kingston offered by the Sales and Rental Units Project.

• ​The National Housing Trust (NHT) was established in 1976 to devise policies to address the housing need, especially for poorer groups. It became the most important financial institution to mobilise additional funds for housing so that families could be offered mortgages below traditional market rates.

• To-date, despite many families having received housing through NHT and other private sector, there are many that still occupy inner-city slums and extensive squatter settlements on the periphery of the city.

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The population policies of the government continue to explore ways of reducing the costs of housing for the poor. ​

Subject | Subject

Read the case study on page 339 of the handout on Housing in Jamaica​​

Time For No-Build Zones In Jamaica – Minister Charles Jr. – Jamaica Information Service

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​Final Thoughts!

• Any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions??

• Evaluation activitiy:

  Question below

Open Ended

What do you think are some of the main challenges with housing in Jamaica?