Prime Minister Andrew Holness today (August 11, 2022),  handed over a brand new three-bedroom house to the family of Delano Tucker, in Guys Hill, St. Catherine.

Delano Tucker whose story of academic excellence amid the grips of poverty went viral and warmed the hearts of many locally and overseas also sparked the interest of the Government to act.

Prime Minister Holness underscored that the story led the Government to analyze the situation properly and to find the best solution for the Tucker family. He noted that his mere presence at the time would not have been beneficial therefore the best course was to allow the government system to work which led to the decision of handing over a house under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Prime Minister Holness said;

“There are hundreds of cases like Delano’s and the Government cannot just act out of emotion. The Government has to always in everything, think about whether the action is fair to everyone. And we decided that there was a programme retrofitted for this circumstance.”

The Prime Minister emphasized that through the NSHP, over 84 families who lived under similar circumstances such as the Tucker’s, have received a new home. He, therefore, reiterated that the intention of the NSHP is to address the worst living conditions in Jamaica.

In the meantime, the Prime Minister stated that the census take-up which will begin in September is critical to the process of addressing the living conditions that exist in the country. Therefore Prime Minister Holness encouraged all Jamaicans to participate in the process and provide the necessary information to the census takers.