“Now that you are a homeowner, it is incumbent on you to ensure the safety of your investment,” NHT managing director, Mrs. A. Cecile Watson,told residents of the Trench Town Housing Scheme in Havanawho were presented with titles for their homes Wednesday, February 15. The residents recently completed payment to the NHT for their units. The titles were handed over by the NHT and Member of Parliament and Minister of Transport, Water and Housing Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, in a ceremony at the Trench Town Community Centre. Central Kingston Member of Parliament the Hon. Ronald Thwaites was also present to witness the ceremony. 

The handover of titles on Wednesday was another milestone in an ongoing project by the NHT to regularize occupancy of units in the Havana housing scheme. Since the start of the regularisation programme in 2002, over 120 persons have taken up the opportunity to buy the units they occupy. The project’s success was, in a large part, due to Dr. Davies’ on the ground support.

Dr. Davies congratulated the persons who collected the titles for their properties.  Further, he welcomed them to their new status as homeownerspointing out that “It is an important change in your life.”  He also took time out to encourage residents to play their part in increasing the number of property owners in the community as a way of encouraging responsible citizenship. Dr. Davies reaffirmed his pledge of support to encourage residents of Havana, who had not yet paid for their units, to take advantage of NHT’s offer to regularize by March 2013 when the special programme will close.

In bringing greetings at the event, Mrs. Watson encouraged the just under 40 persons in the scheme who had not yet entered into arrangements to regularize their occupancy or who had faltered on previous agreements to settle their outstanding balance.  She pointed out that the Trust also intends to make a similar offer to residents of NHT schemes in Denham Town, Beverley Gardens, Central Kingston and Tawes Pen, who do not legitimately own the units they currently occupy.

Minister the Hon. Ronald Thwaites also applauded the new homeowners. He remarked that the event signalled the “reversing of history because people like you aren’t supposed to own property.”  He expressed his support of a similar regularisation programme in his constituency.