PM Highlights Shared National Responsibility Under NSHP

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) demonstrates a national commitment to ensuring that every citizen has access to safe and acceptable living conditions.

Dr. Holness was speaking at the handover ceremony for a multi-family housing unit on Friday (Jan. 30) at 1 Brooks Level Road in Stony Hill, St. Andrew, which was constructed under the NSHP.

He outlined the philosophy underpinning the initiative, emphasising that social housing is grounded in shared national responsibility and social consciousness.

He explained that while beneficiaries may receive housing at a reduced or at no direct cost, the programme is ultimately financed through public resources.

“It doesn’t mean that the house is free. Somebody pays for it. Who pays for it? Everybody, everybody pays for it,” he pointed out.

Dr. Holness further underscored that social housing represents the values a society sets for itself and the standard below which no citizen should fall.

He noted that the programme targets the country’s most vulnerable groups, including elderly persons, retired domestic workers, pregnant and lactating mothers, who are homeless, and families displaced by disasters.

“In this specific case, we focus on persons who are homeless because of…fire,” he pointed out.

He explained that three families, who previously occupied the Brooks Level Road property were left homeless following a fire in 2023 and were later selected through the NSHP’s screening process.

“The programme has a very robust system of beneficiary identification… they go through and they do what is called a social investigation,” he said, adding that such safeguards are necessary to protect both beneficiaries and taxpayers.

The Prime Minister also clarified that the NSHP does not own land, making due diligence an essential component of the programme.

“So, the land that we are building on here don’t belong to the government,” he explained, noting that written permission is required to prevent future land disputes.

The Prime Minister said that housing construction must also take safety and climate resilience into account.

He noted that NSHP units are designed not only for durability but also to uplift communities through improved aesthetics.

“You don’t have to have run-down houses in the inner city or low-income communities. You don’t have to build shacks…You can build things that are pleasing,” he said.

“When you put up structures that are aesthetically pleasing, it lifts the area. It lifts how you feel… and you feel better about yourself and your community,” he added.

Looking ahead, the Prime Minister said that the NSHP will be expanded, citing its strong performance to date.

“We’re going to build at scale, we’re going to increase the budget for it…we have over 80 units now under construction,” he said, noting that over 1000 persons have benefited from the NSHP to date.

The Brooks Level Road project forms part of a wider tenement yard upgrade strategy being implemented across the island.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Arlene Williams, said that the handover of the project represents a transformative moment for the affected families.

“Today, we are not merely handing over a building. We are restoring dignity, we are restoring security, we are restoring hope to those families who have faced unimaginable loss,” she said.

On October 16, 2023, a fire of unknown origin displaced 12 individuals, including children and elderly persons, leaving them homeless and dependent on community support.