Indigent Housing Programme Focuses on Climate Resilient Houses

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says the Ministry’s Indigent Housing Programme is focused on building more climat- resilient houses that can withstand the test of time.

The Minister was addressing the handover ceremony for a home in Burnt Savannah, St. Elizabeth, recently.

Ms. Enid Brown, whose home was destroyed by fire in June of 2023 received a furnished two-bedroom unit.

Her granddaughter, Ackalia Dunkley, suffered third-degree burns after the gas stove exploded at the house.

Ms. Brown was one of two beneficiaries who received housing units on the day.

“The difference with our programme is that we are moving with the times. While we acknowledge that the previous method of building [houses] benefited a lot of people, the Government realised that we need to improve the quality [and] the standard of the housing,” Mr. McKenzie said.

“One of the things we took into consideration is Jamaica’s place in the top tier when it comes on to [natural] disasters. We are in the top five most disastrous countries in the world, and we sit right in the centre of the fault line for earthquakes. We are prone to hurricanes and because of that when you are investing in housing development you have to invest on a long-term basis,” he added.

In this vein, the Minister pointed out that none of the houses built by the Government through the Indigent Housing and New Social Housing Programmes were affected by the passage of Hurricane Beryl which affected the island in July of last year.

The Indigent Housing Programme was designed to address the housing difficulties faced by the poor and most vulnerable.

Applicants for the programme are screened by the Poor Relief Department, and investigation and verification procedures are carried out to establish the need.

The Ministry has developed three types of solutions – studio units, one-bedroom units and two-bedroom family units.