Esther McKenzie Now Has A Safe Place To Call Home
By: , March 15, 2025
Photo: Yhomo Hutchinson
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (centre), cuts the ribbon to officially handover a two-bedroom house to New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) beneficiary, Esther McKenzie during a ceremony held in New Market, St. Elizabeth on Friday (March 14). Also participating are (from left) Chairperson of the NSHP Oversight Committee, Judith Robb Walters; Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport and Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth Northeastern, Hon. JC Hutchinson; Ms. McKenzie’s grandson, Tarique Wright; her daughter Kassandra Wright and grandson, Romani Whyte.
Photo: Yhomo Hutchinson
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right) embraces New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) beneficiary, Esther McKenzie (left) during a tour of Ms. McKenzie’s new house which was handed over by the Prime Minister in New Market, St. Elizabeth on Friday (March 14). Looking on is Ms. McKenzie’s grandson, Tarique Wright.The Full Story
Esther McKenzie of New Market, St. Elizabeth, is one of the latest beneficiaries of the government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).
Ms. McKenzie, who lost her home to fire, received the keys to a two-bedroom house from Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness during a handover ceremony held in the community on Friday (March 14).
She was one of three NSHP beneficiaries who received housing units on the day.
Dr. Holness said Ms. McKenzie was a deserving beneficiary of the unit, as the fire left her and her family displaced for over a year.
“They would have had to seek refuge at a neighbour’s home, and you can imagine how uncomfortable this must have been, and the wait has been a little while, almost a year and a half, but you were not waiting in vain. Now you have a brand-new structure which will restore your dignity,” he said.
The Prime Minister stated that persons have become NSHP beneficiaries, due to several circumstances, including losing their homes to fire or a natural disaster.
“Fire is one of the significant areas where we have assisted persons and it is clear that Esther would not have been able to rebuild by herself, so she was a suitable candidate,” Dr. Holness said.
He encouraged Ms. McKenzie and her family to take care of the unit and to try to keep the house in the condition in which it was handed over.
For her part, Ms. McKenzie expressed gratitude for her new house, while recalling the devastation of being misplaced when her previous home was destroyed.
“I am thankful for the new house because I was burned out almost two years ago and I was devastated. Somebody had to put me up, but now I am getting this house. Thank you to the taxpayers and thank you Prime Minister for my new home,” she expressed.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport and Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth Northeastern, Hon. JC Hutchinson, also thanked the Prime Minister for his part in ensuring that Ms. McKenzie received her new home.