Prime Minister Hands Over Housing Units To South Trelawny Families

Three families residing in communities in Southern Trelawny are grateful and happy today as they have been provided with stable, safe, and decent shelter under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, officially handed over the three-bedroom units in Albert Town, Ulster Spring and Battersea District on Friday July (2).

The NSHP, implemented in 2018, is being administered under the housing component of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme, with the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation having oversight.

It aims to improve the housing conditions of the country’s poor and indigent population.

As of June 18, a total of 33 units have been constructed under the initiative with another 10 nearing completion.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony in Albert Town, Prime Minister Holness emphasised the Government’s commitment to ensuring that every citizen has access to decent housing, no matter their socioeconomic status.

“If you are poor and indigent, it shouldn’t be that you live in a little chateau where if the slightest breeze blows, it collapses, or if there is a sprinkle of rain you get wet. That is a commitment that this Government has to our people; that all Jamaicans, regardless of your social standard, there should be a minimum level of sheltered housing that you are entitled to as a citizen of this country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness indicated that greater focus will be placed on the programme, which was suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We have started with $500 million and because of COVID-19 we had to suspend the programme. We just restarted it. We do plan the next round to increase the allocation [and] double it to a $1 billion because we have been able to show and establish that we can build the houses, build them within the cost, build them on time and have a system of allocation to beneficiaries that is fair,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister noted that NSHP is a symbol of hope for many Jamaicans. He assured that the selection process for beneficiaries under programme is done in a transparent, fair and accessible manner.

“Let’s do it step by step until we reach everyone and the more we do this, the more we give people hope, especially too, if they believe they will have a fair chance and that the benefit is not politicised,” he said.

Tristan Turner, who is the beneficiary from Ulster Spring, expressed gratitude to the Government.

“We thank you and we will care for our families… This will not be taken for granted and we will sleep like kings and queens,” he said.