NSHP Delivers Fifth Housing Solution In Guy’s Hill, St. Catherine

A three-bedroom house has been handed over to Alethia Parker and her family in Guy’s Hill, St. Catherine, under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), bringing the number of housing solutions delivered in the community to five.

The handover took place on October 30, with State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Member of Parliament for St. Catherine North Eastern, Hon. Kerensia Morrison, hailing the intervention as one that would significantly improve the family’s living conditions and restore their dignity.

“We are grateful for it, indeed, Prime Minister [Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness]. You are touching the people in Guy’s Hill where it matters most… housing, housing, housing,” she said.

Ms. Morrison noted that Mrs. Parker had expressed gratitude for the assistance and voiced confidence that the new home would have a lasting impact on her family’s well-being.

She also highlighted the historical significance of Guy’s Hill, particularly its association with the name ‘Weeping Stairs’.

She explained that one account attributes the name to the natural rock formation, which resembles a staircase and was reportedly difficult for labourers transporting produce to climb in earlier years.

Another explanation points to the community’s damp and misty conditions, with rainfall often making the steps appear as though they are weeping.

Mrs. Parker described the handover as the realisation of a long-standing dream and expressed heartfelt gratitude to God, the Prime Minister, her Member of Parliament, and the people of Jamaica.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Arlene Williams, said the intervention exemplified the transformative power of the NSHP, pointing to the dramatic contrast between the family’s previous dwelling and their new home.

She explained that the programme was conceptualised by Prime Minister Holness in 2018, with construction beginning in 2020 following the completion of the necessary planning and approval processes, as well as delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs. Williams outlined that the programme is guided by a rigorous process that includes assessments by Members of Parliament, social investigations, verification of need, and review by a project oversight committee comprising representatives from multiple ministries and agencies.

She said the Parkers were identified as deserving beneficiaries based on their low income, small-scale farming activities, and family circumstances, adding that the programme continues to provide safe, structurally sound homes that help lift vulnerable Jamaicans out of poverty while promoting dignity and security.