Bamboo Industry Association, NHT closer to implementing affordable bamboo housing project

WHEN it comes to housing construction in Jamaica you can expect to see basic materials like concrete and wood. But with housing prices becoming more elusive for low- to middle-income earners, developers and housing agencies are going back to the drawing board.

The National Housing Trust (NHT), for example, is pumping $54 million into a project to explore the potential use of bamboo in affordable housing. The project is a collaboration with the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) and the Bamboo Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ).

Chairman of the BIAJ, Robert Rainford said: “The first year was just proprietary work. Year two now, the actual research will start where the technical people and the experts will be testing to make sure that our bamboo is suitable for construction, and in year three we’ll set up a facility where you will see a physical house.”

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/agriculture/bamboo-industry-association-nht-closer-to-implementing-affordable-bamboo-housing-project_225418?profile=1056