Montague Reports Modular Housing Build Under Way After Morris Criticism

The Government says work to build and assemble modular homes under its housing programme started last week and is moving forward, after Opposition criticism over slow delivery to people hit by Hurricane Melissa.

Senator Floyd Morris, the Opposition spokesman on housing and sustainable living, had accused the administration of not getting containerised units to affected citizens. In a statement issued yesterday, Minister with responsibility for land titling and settlements Robert Montague said the initiative had been focused on site assessment and procurement.

He said that over the coming weeks and months, laying bases and putting houses together should advance enough for handovers to begin. Montague also said a planned tour of western Jamaica to review progress, originally set for last week, has been pushed to this week.

According to the minister, the scheme faced short-term setbacks linked to global shipping pressures, the Chinese New Year period, and related logistics issues. He said those problems have now been fully addressed.

Montague stressed that the Government will not cut corners on quality or safety. He said officials are following a strict process so base preparation meets tough regulatory and environmental rules. He added that ongoing checks are being done to verify land tenure and whether plots are fit for building.

He said each location gets a detailed review before work proceeds, a step he described as essential to the long-term safety of the units. Montague said about 1,500 modular houses are already in Jamaica, with another 1,000 expected to reach the island before the end of this month.