Six Housing Units Handed Over in Clarendon And St. Catherine Under NSHP

Six new homes were handed over to residents in sections of Clarendon and St. Catherine on Thursday (November 10) under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Located in Kellits, Clarendon and Cotton Piece, Forte Street, Gordon Pen and Brunswick Avenue, St. Catherine, the units bring the number of houses now delivered under the programme to 110.

During a ceremony for the presentation of a two-bedroom unit to Jordeen Mason in Kellits, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, reiterated the objective of the programme, which is to deliver quality and secure housing to society’s neediest citizens.

Mr. Holness said that since its inception, the programme has seen significant improvement in building time and efficiency, with an overall enhancement in the procurement process.

“The less time we take [to build], the less money we spend. The contracting has improved, contractors understand what is to be done, and they are able to mobilise very quickly and get the job done. Before, we have taken up to a year to build a unit, now we are building units in six weeks,” the Prime Minister said.

The Government is looking to increase the budget for the programme to boost the number of units delivered from 300 to 1,000 per year.

“When we sit down to figure out what will be the budget next year, this will be one of the programmes that would recommend itself highly because it delivers for the people. It has high visibility and high satisfaction; both the community as well as the beneficiaries are highly satisfied with the project. So, I’m certain that next year we will see a larger budget and we will be able to do more housing,” Mr. Holness said.

An overwhelmed Jordeen Mason, who expressed gratitude for the home she will share with her mother, Joan Douglas, said: “A big thank you to you, Prime Minister, for all that you have done for me and my family. I am so appreciative.”

The NSHP was established in 2018 by Prime Minister Holness.

It is the housing component of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme, which is implemented through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

The initiative aims to improve the housing condition and the quality of life for the most vulnerable Jamaicans.