Prime Minister Holness Declares Jamaica in Safe Hands and Warns Against Empty Homeownership Promises from the Opposition
“We are much better off today in the provision of housing than we were ten years ago.”
– Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has dismissed promises from the Opposition on housing as unrealistic.
Prime Minister Holness is cautioning Jamaicans against being misled by Opposition promises made purely for political gain.
Speaking on Friday (April 25) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Brookside Estate Housing Development in St. James, Dr. Holness warned citizens to be vigilant, especially during the “promising season”, when politicians exploit public frustrations for votes.
“There are some politicians who are going to come to you, knowing your frustration, knowing your disgruntlement, knowing your anger, and try to feed upon that frustration, feed upon that anger, and make promises that may sound good to you now, but cannot be fulfilled,” Prime Minister Holness said.
Dr. Holness emphasized that while homeownership remains a top priority for his administration, it must be approached responsibly through programmes that are sustainable and achievable, rather than through empty pledges designed to win votes.
In that regard, Prime Minister Holness underscored that the real solution to housing affordability lies not in offering temporary subsidies to a few but in expanding the overall housing supply.
“The real solution to this problem is to increase the number of houses that are specifically built for young families and young professionals. The effort of government policy to solve this problem shouldn’t be on the demand side, meaning giving a subsidy to some people. The effort of the government should be on the supply side by increasing the number of houses,” Dr. Holness asserted.
The Prime Minister outlined that his administration’s housing policy is strategically focused on increasing supply through partnerships with local and international contractors. He pointed to successful collaborations with entities such as the Henan Fifth Construction Group and China Harbour Engineering Company, alongside strong local contractors, to accelerate construction.
“We need contractors who can build and build fast. We have been working with our local contractors, and we have struck up good relations with our foreign partners who have come to support housing construction in Jamaica,” Prime Minister Holness said.
This comprehensive approach has resulted in more housing starts, greater accessibility, and broader opportunities for families to transition into stable homeownership.
Importantly, the Prime Minister also pointed to the effectiveness of the Government’s strategy, describing it as deliberate, well-targeted, and results-driven.
“The strategy of the government has been very clear, very well thought out, and very effective… We are increasing the pace at which we deliver housing to Jamaicans. Once we increase the pace, meaning once we address the supply side of the issue and we support the demand side as well, you’re going to see the formal market for the creation, development, and construction of housing replace and eliminate the informal housing sector,” Dr. Holness stated.
The Prime Minister added that through programmes such as the Guaranteed Purchase Programme, the government is de-risking investments for developers, encouraging more enterprise-level housing projects, and ensuring a steady increase in housing starts. These strategic moves, he said, have made it possible for groundbreaking ceremonies to happen very frequently across the island.
Highlighting the results of this focused effort, Prime Minister Holness confidently declared, “We are much better off today in the provision of housing than we were ten years ago.”
The Prime Minister further underscored that the government’s multi-faceted approach, including higher loan limits from the NHT and new incentives like reduced deposit requirements and smart energy grants, is delivering tangible benefits to Jamaicans.
Prime Minister Holness emphasized that improving Jamaica’s housing situation is a continuous, strategic priority for his administration.
Dr. Holness stressed that such a critical issue should not be undermined by unrealistic political gimmicks, underscoring the Government’s commitment to a thoughtful and sustainable.