The National Housing Trust (NHT) will shortly be inviting applications for purchases in the Twickenham Park Housing Development, St. Catherine, as it provides other home ownership opportunities through Home Grants, new deposit arrangements and loans to register titles in Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth. Also, the NHT’s 35th Anniversary Essay Competition, draws to a close.
More NHT home ownership opportunities are on the way, as the NHT will be inviting applications for 41 apartments and townhouses in Unions Estate, Twickenham Park, St. Catherine between Monday, May 9, 2011 to Friday, May 13, 2011. Unions Estate is a gated community approximately 2 km. east of Spanish Town Square, which is close to Twickenham Heights, the Registrar General’s Department, the Twickenham Park Police Station and the Jamaica Police Academy. The available units consist of twenty two 2 -bedroom apartments, three 3 -bedroom apartments and sixteen 2 -bedroom townhouses. Follow our website for more details at www.nht.gov.jm
Entrance to Unions Estate, Phase 2 in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine. Applications for Phase 3 coming soon
Home Grant Applications Result- April 2011
Also the NHT is pleased to publish the names of persons who have been short-listed for Home Grants, based on applications made to the Trust in February, 2011. Criteria for selection were the number of years over which the applicant had contributed to the Trust and his/her income. This represents the first phase of the selection process and is therefore not a guarantee of a Home Grant. The NHT will contact all persons listed, within fourteen (14) days to provide further information. If no contact is made within that period, please call us at 1-888-225-5648 or you may also make contact with us by any one of our other convenient contact channels.
For information on our Home Grant including details on selection criteria check out our Home Grant page at www.nht.gov.jm
Contributors may now use contributions as security for deposit
Prospective home owners may also find the new option for paying deposits on a home convenient, as NHT contributors who plan to buy a house or lot, may now apply for a loan against their contributions being held by the Trust. They may use this sum to assist with the deposit on the property of their choice. The loan is repayable at an interest rate of 5 per cent.
Using contributions refund as security for deposit is another innovative idea that the NHT hopes will assist in increasing the ability of contributors to buy homes. The loan against contributions will in effect increase the amount of funds available from the NHT. Conditions apply so for more information, contributors may contact the Customer Service Department at 1-888-225-5648 or visit our website for additional contact details http://www.nht.gov.jm/our-branches.
Loans to register titles under NHT/LAMP II initiative
The NHT is further increasing home ownership opportunities through land title loans. Landowners in Clarendon, St. Elizabeth and Manchester, who do not have titles for their land, and who are unable to afford even the relatively low cost for registering their property under the Land Administration Management Programme II (LAMP II), can now benefit from an NHT/LAMP II loan.
The NHT has made available a total of $100 million, through a revolving loan facility to LAMP II. Contributors, who use the services of LAMP II to get their titles prepared, may access loans of up to $100,000 each. The loan is repayable over a maximum of 18 months at an interest rate of 3 per cent. The NHT/LAMP II loan is being administered by Geoland Title Limited and so the contributor will access and repay his loan to this organisation.
By collaborating with LAMP II on this project, the NHT is improving access to the most affordable land titling facility in the island. To benefit from the NHT/LAMP II loan, landowners must be registered and current contributors to the NHT. However, there will be no waiting period for new contributors who are applying for NHT/LAMP II loans.
NHT/LAMP II beneficiaries then have the added advantage of applying for an NHT benefit such as a Build-on-Own Land loan once they have contributed for at least fifty-two (52) weeks. Even before the title is ready, NHT can process the loan, once contributors receive a letter of undertaking from LAMP II.
National Housing Trust 35th Anniversary Essay Competition coming to a close
The closing date for entries to the NHT’s 35th Anniversary Anniversary Essay Competition draws nearer. Entries must be submitted by the latest 5.00 p.m. on April 28, 2011, to any NHT Branch Office or e-mailed to: wecare@nht.gov.jm by the time earlier specified. There are two categories for entry. Category 1 which targets youngsters ages 13 - 16 years, asks them to write an essay between 1,000 and 1,500 words on the following topic – “Owning a home: the plan begins now”. For this group the prizes are $50,000 for First Place; $20,000 for Second Place and $10,000 for third place.
Category 2 which targets youngsters ages 17 - 21 years, asks them to write an essay between 2,000 and 2,500 words on the following topic- “Matching needs, means and dreams: The home ownership challenge in Jamaica.” The prizes for this category are: $100,000 for First Place; $50,000 for Second Place and $25,000 for Third Place: Each entry must be accompanied by an entry form that can be downloaded from the NHT website at www.nht.gov.jm or collected from any NHT office islandwide. For further details about the NHT’s 35th Anniversary Anniversary Essay Competition , visit the website at: www.nht.gov.jm.
Call centre now offering Live Help via the NHT website
The NHT now offers a Live Help Support system which takes the format of a web chat with its team of Customer Care agents. Live support can be accessed via the NHT corporate website during office opening hours by users locally as well as those overseas.
For more information about this and other NHT activities and programmes, visit our website at www.nht.gov.jm
