Holness delivers housing units to Old Harbour North residents

And although it was a bittersweet moment for Ms. Smith, as she grieved the loss of her eldest daughter, Rosemarie, she was thankful that she would now have a comfortable space to call home.

“Me grateful fi get it but you know, mi would a wish if a me and [my] daughter was here,” the elderly lady shared with JIS News.

Rosemarie, who would have shared the space with her mother, died approximately two weeks before the official handover ceremony for the unit. The units, valued $10. 2 million, were handed over recently by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.

In consoling an emotional Ms. Smith, Prime Minister Holness offered his support to the family.

“We commiserate with you and encircle you with our comfort and love and we are here for you… anything you need, we will try and assist you,” the Prime Minister said.

Ms. Smith’s youngest daughter, Claudia Powell, said with the new dwelling, her mother will now reside closer to her.

“I feel good, but it’s sad because my sister was actually supposed to get it, and even though my mother is getting it, it was the two of them that were supposed to benefit from it. It’s a good day but a sad day,” she shared with JIS News.

The other beneficiary, 45-year-old Georgette Moving told JIS News that the new house will provide a better environment for her daughter, Janelle, to undertake her studies and continue to excel.

“I am glad that my daughter can live in a better condition, and she can [be in] a better [frame of] mind [for] studying, because we were [previously] living in a terrible condition,” said the mother of three.

Like many Jamaicans, Ms. Moving shared that owning her own home was one of her longtime aspirations.

“My dream has come true. For so many years, I would like to own a house, especially for my daughter, going to Central High doing very well in school, and I always want to have a clean environment and better facilities for her, so that she can have a good peace of mind that she can study to continue to pursue her dreams in life,” she told JIS News.

Ms. Moving’s daughter, Janelle, who aspires to become a lawyer, thanked the Prime Minister, the Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Everald Warmington; Councillor, Old Harbour North, Keith Knight and all stakeholders who played a significant role in enabling them to receive the unit.

“This has been our dream for years and this means a lot to us. Now I can have a clean environment to study. She (mom) always talks about me having a comfortable space to study because being uncomfortable your mind is not at ease. You can’t function [and] I feel depressed, worried,” Janelle said.

“Just like that, you help to add sparks to our lives. Grateful is an understatement at this point. [Finally], big up God; he is the author of it all. Nothing is more important than having your own key to a house in your name,” she expressed.

The two 2-bedroom units were constructed at a cost of approximately $5 million and $5.2 million each.

A total of 151 units have, so far, been built and delivered under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Mr. Holness informed that in another two weeks, 10 additional units should be ready.

He said $500 million has been budgeted for the NSHP, which aims to provide housing solutions for the society’s neediest persons.

“This is not a handout; this is not a giveaway. This is not about political largesse. No. This is about the State fulfilling its duty to protect its most vulnerable and most needy,” he said.

“This is about the State ensuring that we fulfil our social contract and are truthful to our social conscience, and that is what this programme is about,” the Prime Minister said.

Mr. Holness noted that the units are being completed in reasonable time.

Meanwhile, Minister Warmington advised that he assists the beneficiaries in completing the necessary documentation and supports them, where necessary, in meeting certain statutory obligations.

The NSHP operates under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

The initiative aims to improve the housing condition of Jamaica’s neediest citizens.