PRIME Minister Dr Andrew Holness is once again urging Jamaicans to reject criminality, warning that it is an obstacle to national development, after a National Housing Trust (NHT) project in Vineyard Town was mired in delays as violence and gang activity stalled its construction for almost nine years.

Speaking at the handover ceremony of 14 studio apartments at 2A Central Avenue and 7 Third Avenue, St Andrew, on Wednesday, Holness argued that what should have been a symbol of hope and development completed in a timely manner instead became a stark reminder of the cost of crime and deviance.

Holness revealed that the NHT homes, priced at $15 million with each apartment expanding to 430 square feet, began in 2017 but was derailed when criminal activity made it nearly impossible for contractors to operate. By 2021, the original contract for the development had to be terminated.