$10-MILLION HEADACHE

In 2017, Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the then National Housing Trust (NHT) chairman, Dr Nigel Clarke, opened the Berkshire Court housing development in Spanish Town, St Catherine – giving 44 brand-new homeowners the keys in what would be the start of a lifetime journey. However, less than a decade later, several residents say that fateful day is when all their headaches began.

Construction for Berkshire Court kicked off in 2016 and cost approximately $906 million. The development consists of two-bedroom townhouses which were sold to customers for a little over $10 million apiece.

“You feel so happy and excited. To be able to buy your house brand-new, not second-hand, was always a dream. We were the first occupants, so no one lived in the house. I would not have expected any issue at all,” Jennifer*, one of the original 44 new homeowners, who did not want to be identified by her real name, told The Gleaner.

However, things quickly changed for her, and many other residents of the eight-year-old development, shortly after moving in.

Pipes leaking in the walls, hollow ceilings, window frames falling apart, tiles cracking and breaking from very little pressure, rotting boards, gaps in-between tiles and walls are some of the issues residents say they have been complaining about since day one.

“Every single issue you can think of, me have it. There is not one defect these homes didn’t come with – like it was part of the house cost,” exclaimed Johnathan*, another member of the original 44, who asked that his real name not be used.

The homes at Berkshire Court were developed by the NHT and built by a contractor registered with the Public Procurement Commission.

‘Logistical issues’

In a response to Gleaner queries, the state-run entity said it was aware of the issues.

“The defects are being addressed,” the NHT said.

However, the homeowners with whom The Gleaner spoke said the problems were not being addressed quickly enough.

“The issues have always been here. Is just when we moved in we realise,” said Johnathan. “The thing is, we have been contacting NHT for years. They send someone to assist but nothing happens. The person just asks us some questions and that’s it. That has been happening for years.”

The NHT cited “logistical issues” as the reason for delays in the repair process for some residents but, for others, it is unclear what caused the “almost 10-year-long wait”.

Residents who contacted The Gleaner are adamant that they see their homes at Berkshire Court as lifelong investments, similar to how Holness described them during the handover in 2017.

At the time, he argued that poverty will be stopped when homeowners start to see the need to maintain the value of their community.

“If we consider what is poverty, it is the lack of value,” the prime minister had said then.

But, for Jennifer, she is afraid her home has decreased in value because of the long-standing issues.

“Who’s going to buy these when you start to explain the issues? Is not unless you want to be unethical that you kinda hide them. And, even then, the cycle of disappointment moves on to the next unlucky homeowner.”

Despite the challenges, the NHT said it was committed to having the issues resolved.

“Developments will come with specific challenges from time to time. These challenges are not to be normalised and, as a company, we have ensured that we put in place all the necessary processes and mechanisms to correct these issues when they arise,” said the Trust in its response to The Gleaner.

The NHT also confirmed it would be increasing the resources on the site to ensure that the defects, when reported, are addressed within four weeks.

Jennifer confirmed that she has seen improvement in the speed at which work is being done at her home, while Johnathan is trying to be patient in waiting his turn.

“Well, if them seh wait, I have no issue. But the NHT needs to know we can’t be waiting forever,” he said.

kenrick.morgan@gleanerjm.com