KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government is examining changes to the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) that could see land provided to eligible people who currently have nowhere to build, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said.
Mr Holness made the comment on July 10 at a contract signing and groundbreaking for The Hibiscus, a new NSHP development at 35 Hibiscus Avenue in the St Andrew West Central constituency. Referring to beneficiaries who do not own property, he said the Government would take a second look at the programme to see how land could be included.
Seven units for 16 residents
The Hibiscus will comprise four studio apartments, one two-bedroom unit and two three-bedroom units, housing 16 residents, six of them children. Construction is expected to be finished before the end of the year.
Programme at a glance
According to figures shared at the ceremony, the NSHP has so far completed 295 housing units with 676 rooms, benefiting more than 1,063 Jamaicans. Another 45 projects are under construction, adding 93 rooms, and 65 more are due to begin before year-end, which would add 384 rooms.
The programme operates in three ways: building individual single-family homes for people in need, relocating communities living in vulnerable locations, and upgrading multi-family housing such as tenement yards.
At present, a key obstacle for many would-be beneficiaries is the lack of a secure site on which a home can be built. Providing land as part of the package would widen access to people who are currently excluded for that reason alone.
For the wider property market, the proposal is a reminder that land availability, not just construction cost, is one of the biggest barriers to housing for low-income Jamaicans. If the Government moves ahead, state-owned parcels suitable for small-scale residential use could be put to work, and inner-city upgrading projects like The Hibiscus may improve living conditions in older neighbourhoods. Homeowners and landlords in areas targeted for tenement upgrades could see improved infrastructure, while families hoping to qualify should follow official guidance on eligibility once details of any revised programme are published.
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