Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday rolled out new housing initiatives for sugar workers, and unveiled a package of benefits for National Housing Trust (NHT) beneficiaries.

Effective July 1, 2007, the NHT ceiling for beneficiaries will increase to $3.5 million, an increase of $500,000.

This means that joint applicants to the NHT can now receive a maximum of $7 million to purchase a house on the open market or to build on own land.

Making her second presentation to the Budget Debate in Gordon House, Mrs. Simpson Miller told her colleagues that current mortgagors will benefit from a reduction in interest rates, which will also take effect on July 1.

The NHT has earmarked $6 billion to provide housing for sugar workers, $2 billion of which represents a subsidy.

Workers at New Yarmouth, Monymusk, Frome, Appleton, Bernard Lodge and Bellrock have already received 1,891 residential lots, according to Mrs. Simpson Miller.

Another 819 lots will be delivered by next year to workers at Stokes Hall, Long Pond and Hampden.

Sugar workers concerns

The Government has also pledged $100 million to support what the Prime Minister described as the social concerns of sugar workers.

And, the Simpson Miller administration will be restarting a major north-coast housing project, which will include housing units for tourism workers.

This year, 1,900 unitsare to be built in Barrett Hall, St. James.