Government Further Accelerates Housing Support
“Housing is about the dignity of people, the pride of people, the convenience of the people, and the comfort of the people. At the end of the day, it must be an asset for the people.”
– Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness has asserted that the Government will further boost support to the housing sector to increase the supply of houses and meet the demands of Jamaicans.
Prime Minister Holness said the supply of houses must be increased to deal with the demand.
Speaking on Friday (April 25) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Housing Trust (NHT) Brookside Estate Housing Development in St. James, Prime Minister Holness stated that the government is intensifying efforts to deliver more housing solutions across all income levels.
“Shelter is a human right. Every human being is entitled to shelter. The government must provide not [just] shelter, but the government must provide the support mechanisms that make shelter accessible and affordable,” the Prime Minister declared.
The Brookside Estate project, which will deliver 418 housing units under the NHT’s Guaranteed Purchase Programme, forms part of a broader strategy to accelerate the pace of housing developments across the island.
Dr. Holness noted that slow housing delivery pushes Jamaicans into informal or unsafe living conditions, and the government’s housing agencies will do more to prevent this.
“What we have been trying to do at the NHT, and generally in the government, is to increase the pace at which the government supports the housing sector. Whenever the pace of affordable housing solution delivery is slow, people are not going to sit by and just wait on the government. They are going to find their own means,” Dr. Holness said.
Emphasizing inclusivity, the Prime Minister also noted that new developments are designed to meet the needs of a wide cross-section of Jamaicans, from young professionals to the elderly and families with low or unstable incomes.
“Brookside Estate represents the Government’s firm belief that every Jamaican family, regardless of income, deserves access to safe, affordable, and modern housing,” Prime Minister Holness stated.
Dr. Holness further pointed out the range of programmes designed to support various demographics, including social housing for the most vulnerable, grants through the NHT, and the intergenerational mortgage programme for families spanning different age groups.
The Prime Minister made it clear that the government’s housing agenda goes beyond construction. It is about restoring dignity, promoting upward mobility, and creating generational wealth.
“Housing is about the dignity of people, the pride of people, the convenience of the people, and the comfort of the people. At the end of the day, it must be an asset for the people,” the Prime Minister said.
Brookside Estate, located between Montego Bay and Falmouth, is part of a five-year plan by the NHT to deliver 2,250 additional housing solutions in St. James. The project will not only create homes but also generate employment and stimulate economic growth throughout the region.
The Prime Minister stated that his administration will continue to pursue housing policies that are practical, inclusive, and sustainable.