Marjorie Wilson, a homeowner in the Estuary Housing Development, St James, is facing a distressing situation after an attempt to expand her National Housing Trust (NHT) house left her with a damaged and uninhabitable property. After starting construction to add rooms and amenities in January 2022, the land beneath the house began to sink, causing severe structural damage. Despite providing a report detailing the issue, Wilson has yet to receive a resolution from NHT or the contractor, WIHCON, and is now paying both rent and mortgage.

St James homeowner’s dream home turns into costly nightmare

Jamaica Gleaner/30 Nov 2024/Rochelle Clayton/Staff Reporter 

 

A HOMEOWNER in St James is now distraught after an attempt to expand her National Housing Trust (NHT) house in the Estuary Housing Development has left her with an uninhabitable structure and no clear resolution in sight.

Marjorie Wilson, who received the keys to her one-bedroom property in May 2021, began expanding her home the following January with plans to add two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a washroom for her family.

However, her excitement quickly turned to frustration when the property began sinking and developing cracks after a heavy rainstorm in April 2022. Now, two years later, the issues persist, and Wilson has yet to receive a solution from the relevant authorities.

“I was so excited when I got my house, but this has been nothing short of a nightmare,” wilson told The Gleaner.

“I started construction, but the land beneath the property began to sink, and that’s when everything started falling apart.”

According to Wilson, after noticing the damage, she contacted the NHT, which instructed her to stop construction and obtain a structural engineering report. She complied and provided the report from Rokeef Management Solutions, which detailed severe structural damage to the building.

The report stated that “significant cracks run throughout the building” and that these are “structural cracks” that have compromised the integrity of the property. The damage, according to the report, is due to movement and settlement of the soil beneath the house.

“The cracks start at the foundation and run up through the walls, beams, and lintels,” Wilson explained. “It’s clear that the land is faulty, and the structure cannot be salvaged.”

The engineering report further revealed that the extension added to Wilson’s home had sunk unevenly, causing the building to rotate, with cracks appearing on both sides. The report recommended that the structure be demolished and the soil replaced with compacted limestone fill before rebuilding. This would bring the land up to the necessary standard for construction.

STILL WAITING AFTER 2 YEARS

Wilson shared the engineering report with the NHT and the contractor, West Indies Home Contractors Limited (WIHCON), but two years later, she has received little progress or guidance on how to move forward.

“I’ve done everything they asked, but I’m still waiting for a response,” she said.

The financial strain has been significant for Wilson. She is forced to pay rent on another property in Catherine Hall while also covering her mortgage payments for the Estuary home.

Adding to her frustration, some of the building materials she purchased for the expansion have spoiled due to the prolonged delay.

“I’m paying rent and mortgage, and I can’t even live in my house. My materials are going to waste, and I still have to pay back the loans I took to finance the expansion,” Wilson said, visibly upset.

“It’s extremely stressful and discouraging. I can’t even set foot on the property because it’s unsafe, and there’s nowhere to walk.”

Wilson was promised by the NHT that she would be relocated to another property within the Estuary development, but she said she has not received anything in writing to confirm this.

“The last thing I heard was that they were going to relocate me, but that hasn’t happened,” she told The Gleaner.

ASSISTING WITH RELOCATION

Donovan Evans, the manager of NHT’S St James regional office, confirmed with The Gleaner that the organisation is looking into assisting Wilson with relocation. However, he did not provide a timeline for when this will take place.

“We recognise that she has suffered severe damage to the structure that she was putting in place and based on humanitarian grounds, we are contemplating assisting in her relocation,” Evans told The Gleaner.

WIHCON, the contractor responsible for the housing development, declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Gleaner.

Patrick Turner, the construction manager at WIHCON, stated, “I have no comment on this matter and cannot advise you on anything pertaining to this.”

For now, Wilson’s situation remains unresolved, and she is left with little hope for a quick resolution.

“All I want is a place where I can live with my family,” she said.

“This has taken a toll on me emotionally and financially, and I just want to see this issue finally addressed.”

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