THE government is spending $26 million on a contract, awarded to the University of Technology (UTech), to prepare a national housing policy and implementation plan.

Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance, Senator Dwight Nelson, told Wednesday's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House that the policy and implementation plan would give directions to the housing sector on issues such as supply, demand, affordability, financing, investments and squatting, as well as streamlining the operations of existing housing agencies.

"The plan, basically, is to see how best we can facilitate the vision of access to adequate, legal and affordable housing in Jamaica. That is the basic objective," Senator Nelson said.