Contract Feature Added to New Social Housing Programme
By: , October 28, 2022
Photo: Mark Bell
Photo: Mark Bell
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (second right), leads the signing of the social contract with the recipient of a new social housing unit, Nimroy Henry (second left). Mr. Henry’s new home is located in Harbour Head, Port Morant in the St. Thomas Eastern constituency and was handed over on Wednesday (October 26). Sharing the moment are St. Thomas Eastern Member of Parliament, Dr. Michelle Charles (left), and Mayor of Morant Bay, Councillor Michael Hue.
Photo: Mark Bell
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (second right), and New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) beneficiary, Dawn Cargill (second left), sign the social contract outlining her responsibilities as a homeowner under the initiative. Looking on are Member of Parliament for St. Thomas Eastern, Dr. Michelle Charles (left) and Mayor of Morant Bay, Councillor Michael Hue. Ms. Cargill received a two-bedroom unit during a handover ceremony on Wednesday (October 26).The Full Story
Beneficiaries of the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) will now be guided by a social contract, outlining the initiative’s policies.
“We have [added] a new feature to the programme, which is that the beneficiary will sign [this] contract. It’s a simple document, which outlines the duties and responsibilities of the beneficiary,” said Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
He was speaking during a ceremony to handover three houses under the NSHP to residents in Curtis Bottom, St. Thomas Eastern, on Wednesday (October 26).
Mr. Holness explained that the contract reinforces the intended purpose of the house, which is to provide a shelter solution for the recipient.
“So there are some duties and responsibilities there for the maintenance of the house, [and] if you plan to expand on the house, you should let us know,” he informed.
The Prime Minister emphasised that approval for any expansion of NSHP houses must be sought from the respective Municipal Corporations.
“We don’t want [you] to put up a structure that then turns out to be a problem to the community… that turns out to be a bar that operates all hours of the night and disturbs the neighbours. So, we are putting this, now, in a contract that will specify what your obligations and duties are in [relation to] the house,” Mr. Holness expounded.
The latest houses handed over now brings the number delivered under the NSHP to 106.
The programme, designed to improve the housing condition of the country’s most vulnerable, was conceptualised by the Prime Minister and implemented in 2018.
It is a component of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, and is facilitated through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.