Jamaicans Urged to Support Indigent Housing Initiative

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, with Responsibility for Local Government Reform, Robert Montague, has called on Jamaicans to rekindle the strong spirit of volunteerism and provide support for the indigent housing initiative, which is being embarked on by the Department of Local Government.
Speaking at a Church Service at the Seventh Day Adventist Church of God in Oracabessa, St. Mary on Saturday (July 12) where he introduced the initiative, Mr. Montague said it was being implemented to urgently address the housing needs of the nation’s indigents.
Under the initiative, Jamaicans are being requested to assist the country’s indigents by contributing to a fund established for the purpose of developing suitable housing accommodation for this group of individuals.
Mr. Montague disclosed that based on current estimates, it will cost a total of $50 million to effectively assist indigents with housing, adding that the last time this problem was effectively addressed was some 12 years ago.
Noting that it was incumbent on the nation to ensure that its indigents live in circumstances that make them comfortable, Mr. Montague emphasized that it is also important to make their home situations satisfactory and acceptable, as not all such persons can be accommodated in the Government infirmaries in the various parishes.
Declaring that there are many proud persons among the indigents who have contributed significantly to the nation’s development, the Local Government Minister of State said the mission of this generation of Jamaicans has to be that of assisting the poor and indigent amongst us, to continue living their lives with dignity and respect.
In making a passionate appeal to Jamaicans to support the programme, he said the initiative is of a non-political nature, as it seeks to elicit the support of all Jamaicans in the effort to assist in averting the crisis being experienced in respect of the general lack of suitable housing conditions for indigents.
He also encouraged those persons who might be skeptical about contributing to the initiative but nevertheless are desirous to assist that group of persons to do so by arranging with the Parish Councils in their parish to contribute welfare support to at least one indigent in their parish.
Through this action, he said, they would still be supporting the spirit of the initiative to make life more comfortable for the nation’s poorest.