KINGSTON, Jamaica – Government will be introducing a new housing initiative to expand support and improve living conditions for Jamaicans in need.
Under the existing New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), more than 300 families across the island have already received new homes.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said there is to be another layer of housing assistance that will help a wider cross-section of Jamaicans.
“We know that the benefit (of the NSHP) is in a way limited to the family, and there have been persons who have been saying to us when they see the programme, that we need to have another layer… that there are persons who will need assistance to complete a roof, to complete their bathrooms, windows, that is almost like giving them a brand new house,” he said.
“So, we have contemplated this and very shortly, I will be launching… the Building Grant Programme where we do, from time to time, give a grant to qualified persons. We are looking at a new programme now that will seek to address the conditions of housing generally across the country, that once we have assessed the home as being in need, we will try to ensure that the house has at least one secure room.”
Holness said the idea for the programme stemmed from lessons learned during the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July last year.
“Several houses were just totally destroyed and lost roofing, but if they had one secure roof, one secure room or one secure part of the building, the dislocation that happened would have been minimized,” he said.
