Credit and subsidies in Jamaican government housing programs

A principal interest of the study, in light of the scarcity of housing resources and the overwhelming need for improved housing, especially at the low income level, is the magnitude and distribution of subsidies among income groups. This study assesses the degree to which the housing programs are fulfilling the Jamaican government"s housing policy objective which prioritizes low income assistance. The core of this study is a quantitative analysis of the mortgage records of two Jamaican parastatal agencies - the National Housing Trust (NHT) and Caribbean Housing Finance Corporation (CHFC). In addition to an in-depth statistical examination of each agency, comparisons between the two agencies are made throughout the report. This provides leverage to assess the significance of the quantitative trends. The policy implications of the quantitative evidence are discussed during the analytical chapters as well. An accompanying document, "Executive Report: Shelter Sector Mortgage Credit and Subsidy Policy: The National Housing Trust and Caribbean Housing Finance Corporation," provides an overview of the Jamaican housing agencies analyzed here, and summarizes the major findings of this report. (Author abstract)