JM Inner City Basic Services for the Poor Project

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The Jamaica Inner City Basic Services for the Poor Project aims to improve quality of life in 12 Jamaican inner-city areas and poor urban informal settlements through improved access to basic urban infrastructure, financial services, land tenure regularization, enhanced community capacity and improvements in public safety. The Project is structured with three components. Component 1, Access to Services, includes three key subcomponents: Subcomponent 1.1; Basic Infrastructure finances (1) integrated network infrastructure in project areas for water, sanitation, drainage, and secondary and tertiary roads; (2) community centers; (3) community-based infrastructure including the construction and rehabilitation of recreational facilities, installation of community garbage receptacles, replacement of zinc fencing with alternative perimeter fencing and the installation of in-house water and sanitation connections; (4) street lighting and the regularization of illegal electricity connections; (5) repairing and building complimentary offsite network infrastructure; (6) strengthening solid waste collection systems by procuring compactor trucks and analysis of waste collection systems; and (6) technical assistance to parish councils to strengthen operations and maintenance capacity. Subcomponent 1.2, Access to financial Services, facilitates access to microfinance services in project areas for productive purposes and incremental home improvements through performance-based service contracts. Specifically, the subcomponent finances three activities: (a) a performance-based mechanism to extend microfinance loans and technical assistance in project areas; (b) consultant services to orient potential bidders and evaluate bids; and (c) an independent technical audit. Subcomponent 1.3, Land Tenure Regularization, finances a pilot land titling initiative and technical assistance to the Government to prepare a national policy on squatter management and informal urban settlements. Component 2, Public Safety Enhancement and Capacity Building, finances integrated packages of consultant services, training and technical assistance focused on both short-term mitigation and conflict resolution and medium-term social prevention and capacity enhancement interventions. The component also finances the mobilization of community liaison officers to serve as facilitators. Component 3 funds project management.