Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness today (April 28) handed over five new houses to persons in Campbell Town, Central Kingston, and West Albion Meadows in St. Thomas, under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Three units were handed over to Ms. Leisha Brown, Ms. Lisa Brown and Mr. Lloyd White who were displaced by a fire that gutted their homes at 1 Goodwin Avenue in Campbell Town, Central Kingston in 2020.  Mr. White had resorted to living in an old, abandoned vehicle in the area.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Holness noted that the NSHP is designed to help persons who are in immediate distress.

“This is one such case where a residence which housed several households, was destroyed by fire and what we have decided to do is to rebuild on the same property. But we didn’t just build without first of all establishing who has the right to build and occupy the property because the government doesn’t want to contribute to the informal, haphazard and irregular settlement of land, and so we ensured that we were able to establish ownership and occupancy through a formal legal process, and so I am satisfied”, he stated,

The Prime Minister added that the recipients now have an asset that will help them to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

“There is a base from which their children can build. You know the big difference it makes to have housing, shelter, that if it is raining, if there is flooding, that you are protected from the elements; that you can come home in comfort; that there is some level of privacy and security that you can study and do your homework.  You know how that lifts the spirits and gives confidence to our children and allows them to focus and study? We take all these things for granted but it is so very important”.

At West Albion, two units were handed over to recipients Louise Williams and Paula Williams.

Prime Minister Holness explained that a robust selection process devoid of partisan considerations is in place, to ensure that only deserving persons who are most in need receive the houses,

“This is why we call it the HOPE programme. It is about restoring the legitimacy of government as the agent of change in the lives of people…  We are really seeking to deal with those who are living in the worst conditions”, the Prime Minister said.

The New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) which falls under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation operates under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme conceptualized by the Prime Minister and implemented in 2018.

Its aim is to improve the quality of housing for Jamaica’s neediest citizens.

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