Caribbean News
JAMAICA: HAJ Urging Youth to Think About Home Ownership
#Kingston, November 12, 2018 – Jamaica – The Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) is urging youth and young professionals to start planning for homeownership. The housing agency shared with JIS News that having adequate funds for a house deposit continues to be a major deterrent for youth and young professionals becoming homeowners.
The Agency is encouraging youth and young professionals to explore financial products that will enable them to invest and save wisely for home ownership.
“We often hear young professionals being encouraged to save for their pension, but to add to that, we are also 
encouraging young persons to start saving for that house deposit once they start working,” Assistant Environmental Planner at the HAJ, Zanetta Scott told JIS News.
“It’s easier to reach a goal once you have a goal,” Senior Public Relations and Marketing Manager at the HAJ, Richard Jones, who was also present during the interview added.
Mr Jones, also stated that youth and young professionals who are able to purchase a home should act promptly as real estate appreciates quickly.
“Buy now, buy as early as you can to avoid facing inflationary pressures, don’t wait if you can help it. Once you can afford something (a home) now buy it, because a starter house isn’t necessarily the house you will retire in,” Mr Jones explained.
He noted that a single young professional earning between J$150,000-$200,000 per month should be able to afford a J$6-$7M home.
Mr Jones was pleased to announce that come 2019, the HAJ will be developing three new housing schemes that will be attractive for young professionals.
Some of the possible merits of being a young homeowner include having real estate asset, lower mortgage rates with longer payment plans and more predictable housing costs.
Release: JIS
Contact: Colleen Dawkins
Photo Caption: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses the annual meeting of the International Teachers’ Task Force and 11th Policy Dialogue Forum at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James, on November 6.
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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