Census Data to Address Housing Needs for Vulnerable Groups

The Government is looking to use data from the 2022 Population and Housing Census to ascertain and more effectively address the shelter needs of Jamaica’s most vulnerable citizens.

This, by further streamlining provisions under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has said.

He was speaking during Wednesday’s (August 10) launch of the census, at the AC Marriott Kingston Hotel.

Mr. Holness said there is an “obvious” need to provide social housing for persons in the lowest living conditions.

He noted that while the NSHP is a popular programme that is “serving a need”, budgeting for it has proven challenging because, “we really don’t know how many such persons [needing social housing] we have in the society.”

Mr. Holness said because the sampling frame from the last census in 2011 might be outdated, “you couldn’t really use that… to make an accurate prediction as to the numbers.”

“We are using other matrix. So, we have used the Members of Parliament to go out and collect the data. It does help, because they are in the field, they are seeing what’s happening, and we do take in applications,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister maintained, however, that the information they provide “doesn’t give us the true picture [as] they are not the best source of data to guide policy.”

“Once we have the data, then the politicians can sit down and say ‘is this something, based upon the data, that the Government should take its budget and eliminate or tackle in a significant way. Otherwise, without the data, we’re just shooting in the dark and not being effective,” Mr. Holness added.

As such, he further emphasised that “it is important that when the census taker comes to your community, that you embrace them and that you cooperate with them and give the necessary information.”

“If we’re going to make policy on behalf of the people, we can’t just make policy on emotion, on what we feel is popular. We have to make policy on the facts,” Mr. Holness said.

The NSHP was established in 2018 by Prime Minister Holness, as the housing component of the Housing Opportunity Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme.

It was developed to improve the living condition of the country’s poor and disadvantaged population by providing quality, affordable and sustainable housing.

The Programme is being implemented through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) with the HOPE Unit providing administrative and technical support.

STATIN’s Director General, Carol Coy, who spoke at the launch, advised that a quality assessment of Jamaica’s housing stock will be undertaken during the census.

Noting that the data derived from the assessment will be crucial in the Government’s formulation of housing policies and programmes, Ms. Coy said the exercise will entail an examination of structures, access to facilities such as bathrooms and kitchens, source of water for domestic use, and solid waste disposal.

“We will also be looking at tenure of land and dwelling. So, we will be getting an idea of [whether] you are an owner, if you’re living free, if you’re a renter,” the Director General added.

The 2022 Population and Housing Census, Jamaica’s 15th, will be undertaken over three months, beginning on Census Day, Monday September 12, which will serve as the reference date for the information collated.

The activity is being done at a cost of approximately $2.4 billion under the theme ‘Yuh Count, Mi Count – All A Wi Count’.

Over 7,500 field workers have been recruited to conduct the engagement that will see tablet computers being used for the first time in the data collection exercise.

The census is a count of the country’s population, and provides social and demographic data, details of the housing stock, and information at the community level and on hard to count populations.

Ms. Coy pointed out that the census provides data to inform government planning and policies, and information for businesses to make decisions.