Prime Minister Andrew Holness (centre) breaks ground for the new Howard Apartments.

The National Housing Trust is now ISO 9001:2015 certified. The International Organization for Standardization, ISO certification, which is the most globally recognised standard for quality management, established that NHT has demonstrated a commitment to continuously developing, maintaining and improving its business processes. A symbolic presentation of the certificate was made to the Hon. Andrew Holness by Dr.

Prime Minister, the Hon. Andrew Holness on Wednesday, August 3, led the handing over of keys to a new set of Jamaicans at a handing over ceremony for Ruthven Towers, Phase 1. Ruthven Towers, which is conveniently located in the urban epicentre of New Kingston, is a gated eight-storey apartment building comprising seventy-two (72) one-bedrooms and fourteen (14) two-bedrooms. During his keynote address, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, expressed that he was particularly elated that a majority of the selectees, approximately 66%, were within the 25 to 40 age range.

The National Housing Trust (NHT), is creating more opportunities to improve access to homeownership for Jamaicans. Periodically, the NHT reviews its strategies to achieve its desired objectives. Through adjustments to some of its key programmes, more contributors will be better equipped to navigate the mortgage market. The NHT's strategic focus going forward is geared at among other things, a more equitable distribution of benefits and where subsidies and grants are concerned, targeting them to those contributors who need it the most.

The National Housing Trust (NHT), wishes to clarify its policy decision on interest rate subsidies. Under the new policy, income is the sole determinant of the interest rate subsidy applied to mortgagors. The policy is aimed at ensuring equity and allocation of subsidies where it is most needed, that is, to the lowest income groups and the most vulnerable. The policy is intended for application to new loans. For some time, the organization has been analyzing the manner in which it allocates subsidies. Under the prior approach, additional interest rate subsidies were applied to special groups.