Prime Minister Holness Highlights Current Modern Housing Developments in Sharp Contrast to Failed Operation Pride Programme of Previous Administration
“We are very pleased today to bring this housing development as a microcosm of all the other housing developments that we are doing across Jamaica and to show you the difference between what we do for housing and what the previous administration did under their flagship programme called Operation Pride.”
– Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has highlighted the significant strides made by his administration in delivering high-quality, complete, and sustainable housing solutions across Jamaica.
Speaking last Friday (April 25, 2025), during a ceremony and tour of the Edmund Ridge development done by the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) in Rhyne Park, St. James, Prime Minister Holness firmly asserted that the work being done today far exceeds the failed Operation Pride programme of the previous administration.
Prime Minister Holness stated: “We are very pleased today to bring this housing development as a microcosm of all the other housing developments that we are doing across Jamaica and to show you the difference between what we do for housing and what the previous administration did under their flagship programme called Operation Pride, which was really nothing but bring headache and quite a bit of shame to persons who occupied or currently occupy those lands for which this present administration is spending billions of dollars to repair, to correct and to upgrade.”
In this regard, the Prime Minister stressed that his administration’s policy is rooted in providing security, dignity, and real value for homeowners, a stark contrast to the incomplete, poorly planned projects of the past.
“So, for those who choose to believe the negative narrative, the false narrative, here is a visual, physical, and real contradiction of the false notions to which you hold. It is not just Edmund Ridge that we are building. Unlike what the previous governments have done, under Operation Pride, where they build schemes, leave them half-finished, tell people to go on land and occupy the land without any titles, without any form of infrastructure, this administration is not going to leave any development incomplete or unfinished,” said Prime Minister Holness.
The Prime Minister further emphasized the practical and comprehensive nature of his government’s housing policy, ensuring that infrastructure such as water supply, proper roads, sidewalks, and sewage are completed before residents move in.
“Our housing policy is thoughtful. And our housing policy is not just aspirational, but it is practical and realistic. If you really want a house, then this is the housing policy to support. The policy that is comprehensive, the policy that understands the challenges, and the policy that is consistent,” said Prime Minister Holness.
Dr. Holness also outlined the extensive work of the HAJ, citing successes in communities such as Sandown Palms and Catherine Estate. More than 4,000 housing solutions are currently being developed by HAJ across Jamaica.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister urged Jamaicans to recognize the good that is happening in the housing sector, noting that today’s developments offer citizens a real sense of pride, stability, and opportunity, not the “headache and shame” of the past.