Almost 900 Jamaicans Have Benefited from 242 Houses Handed Over Under the New Social Housing Programme
The Government’s New Social Housing Programme, NSHP, is having a positive multiplier impact on people’s lives.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Programme (NSHP) has reached a significant milestone with the handover of 242 homes to beneficiaries across Jamaica (286 have so far been constructed).
NSHP, which is part of the broader commitment to improving living conditions for Jamaican citizens, is moving towards a beneficiary mark of 900, with over 880 individuals being positively impacted and living in the homes handed over.
Prime Minister Holness emphasized the rigorous supervision and meticulous oversight of the programme, ensuring that every allocated dollar reaches the intended beneficiaries.
The Prime Minister stated: “In all, the programme has benefited over 880 persons, which is fantastic, and the programme is going very well. It is a rigorously supervised programme because we want to ensure that every dollar of the benefit that has been allocated for the beneficiary is received by the beneficiary.
He continued: “When you have this house, it will be enduring; you don’t have to worry about it afterwards. It will not fall down, and a hurricane will not lift the roof. This is not just an investment in you and your family; this is going to break intergenerational poverty. This is an asset that your children can inherit.”
Since its inception, the pace of the NSHP has accelerated significantly.
Prime Minister Holness said that initially, one or two houses were handed over each month, but now the programme delivers three to five houses weekly. This scaling up reflects the government’s commitment to addressing substandard housing conditions swiftly and effectively.
Importantly, Prime Minister Holness underscored the programme’s robust implementation process, with established rules, trained personnel, developed methodologies, and secured funding. This institutionalized approach ensures the efficient and transparent delivery of benefits, reducing any potential for corruption that has plagued similar initiatives in the past. Also, the transparency and public nature of the beneficiary selection process have fostered community support and strengthened communal bonds.
Moreover, the programme’s dispersed implementation across various parishes and constituencies has brought additional benefits, such as the extension of water and electricity infrastructure, enhancing the overall quality of life in these communities.
In the meantime, as the NSHP continues to progress, the government remains committed to its goal of lifting Jamaicans out of poverty one household at a time, ensuring a brighter and more secure future for all.
The Prime Minister was speaking at the New Social Housing Ribbon Cutting on Friday (July 19, 2024) in St. Elizabeth.