The government is not the one building houses. Unlike decades ago when the state did construction, today the government hires contractors to deliver homes at a set price, quality, and time. Contractors must move from being lone masons to running enterprise-level firms; train staff, adopt modern technology (the old systems that took 24 months can now deliver in 12), and strengthen balance sheets. We will favor local companies, but whether local or foreign they must meet high standards, share skills and tech, and invest in our communities. If we want to close the 150,000 housing gap, we need firms capable of tens of thousands of homes at a time, not just a few thousand, so prepare your businesses as we bring more projects on stream.(Andrew Holness)