Patricia Rowe Receives One-bedroom Unit

New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) beneficiary Patricia Rowe is now breathing a sigh of relief, as her days of falling through the floorboards of her old home ended on Friday (June 6) when she received a new house.

The unit was handed over by Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon Andrew Holness in Cotton Tree, Trelawny.

Ms. Rowe, who received a one-bedroom unit, fought back tears as she thanked the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Trelawny Southern, Marisa Dalrymple Philibert, for their help in securing her new home, as she was in urgent need of housing.

“Where I’m coming from, it’s very bad, it’s very terrible. My MP came and saw it, and she said, I can’t live like this, and she helped me and I’m so grateful. I thank the Jamaica people, I thank everyone who did this for me, because if it wasn’t God, this wouldn’t be happen,” she said.

“The house I am coming from, a lot of times I fell through [the floor] hurt my spine and hurt my foot, but God kept me,” Ms. Rowe added.

In his remarks, Dr. Holness stated that the government is committed to meeting the demand for social housing, while noting that the NSHP programme works as it choses deserving recipients like Ms. Rowe.

“What the government does is to answer the call for social housing, and as  community members are gathered, they are all happy for you, I’m sure, because they were aware of your circumstances before, and even though all of them would have loved to have this benefit, they are all saying, well, you deserve it more,” he said.

“So, we know that the programme works because it has identified the person who really needs it. So, we are very happy to be able to hand this over to you… the unit is free to you, but it is still a cost, and somebody has to account for the cost,” he added.

The Prime Minister encouraged Ms. Rowe to take care of the home and to ensure that it remains in the same condition in which she received it.

For her part, Mrs. Dalrymple Philibert said the NSHP is a way for the government to reach out to citizens and come their aid.