Recipient Of Unit Under Social Housing Programme Overcome With Tears Of Joy

When Kimesha Francis stepped forward to say thanks publicly for a new house she received from the Government, today (June 29), under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), she was overcome with tears of joy.

She had to be soothed by her mother, Sandra Walters, after walking up to give the Vote of Thanks at the handover ceremony held at Shooters Hill, Bull Bay, in St. Andrew East Rural.

The two-bedroom unit she received was constructed at a cost of approximately $7 million under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme.

It was handed over by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness and his wife and Member of Parliament for the area, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness.

Life for Ms. Francis has not been an easy one. She and her 13-year-old son, Kenrick, previously resided in a dilapidated structure made with plyboard, which she erected on her own some years ago.

The structure had deteriorated, which no longer proved to be safe for Ms. Francis and her family.

Given that she is self-employed with a small business, she did not possess the money to enable her to improve the unit.

“Sometimes I never had somewhere to stay. I was from house to house in the community. I used to rent a house for $5,000, but I couldn’t manage it anymore because I used to work at the post office and then I stopped and started doing my own sale of juices,” Ms. Francis said.

In 2018, when she heard Mrs. Holness was in the community, she went to her asking for assistance.

“They started the application the week after I spoke to them. At the end of 2018, they started the process again and they got on it,” Miss Francis told JIS News.

Now, she is happy she has finally received her new keys and can move in immediately after the handover.

“I am the new owner for the HOPE house and it’s overwhelming,” she said.

Mr. and Mrs. Holness were happy to hand over the keys to Miss Francis.

“I want you, Kimesha, to take care of this house. I want you to enjoy it, but I want you to be an Ambassador of HOPE. This is a good thing, and I am very happy for you,” Mr. Holness said.

“The Government is working as best as it can to provide these kinds of solutions,” he added.

For her part, Mrs. Holness said it fills her heart with absolute joy to provide a new house for Miss Francis.

She thanked her husband for his leadership with the NSHP and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

“When this house went up, many people said they cannot believe this is a government house built out of block and steel. We’re looking forward to the next five [houses] that we have been told we will be getting,” she said.

As at June 18, 2021, a total of 33 housing units had been completed under the NSHP at an average cost of more than $8 million per unit.

Currently, there are 10 active construction projects under the NSHP, and it is expected that all projects will be completed by the end of the second quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.