SENIOR executives are leaving the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) at such a fast rate it is raising concerns among the staff. But HAJ chairman Maureen Webber insists that the agency is only shifting its business model to survive.

According to Webber, the board and senior management met with the staff last week and had what she described as a “wonderful exchange”.

“We had a wonderful conversation (with the workers) two days ago, myself and about five directors on the board,” she said Friday. “I think we left that meeting with an understanding of the work we have to do for the organisation to go forward.”

But, according to Bustamante Industrial Trade Union Vice-President Alvin Sinclair, the union and its members at the agency are “deeply concerned” about the rapid movement of senior staff, which some employees believe may be part of an effort to get rid of staff who are not supportive of the Government or the changing policies at the agency.

“We are deeply concerned about this rapid movement of senior management over the last three months,” Sinclair told the Jamaica Observer.

This rapid movement started with former Managing Director Joseph Shoucair leaving in July, a decision which some critics feel may have been due to a still unconfirmed exorbitant payment made to a former contractor with links to the ruling party who was engaged by the agency and had taken a claim for some $200 million he said was owed to him, but which the previous Government refused to pay.

Webber, a former deputy general secretary of the People’s National Party (PNP), refused to comment on that issue, and insisted that Shoucair had resigned from mid-2012 and was asked to stay on a year longer. But Sinclair said that he is not aware of that.

Since Shoucair’s departure on July 31, four more senior executives have tendered their resignations, including Rosemarie Brown, the former chief technical director, who was promoted to managing director on August 1, but who tendered her resignation on November 11, and is scheduled to depart on December 11.

Since her letter of resignation, three more executives have given notice of their departure as well — Human Resource Manager Donna McNaughton and Senior Manager (project implementation) Dave Hylton are scheduled to leave on December 31; and Legal Corporate Secretary Simone Rattray will leave in January.

“Well, there certainly was no wrongdoing on our part… If a person wishes to resign they can resign,” Webber responded to the Sunday Observer.

She said that one of the new resignations, McNaughton, is leaving because she believes she is losing her sight. However, she could not give reasons for the other resignations.

She said that advertisements will be placed in the Press today regarding two of the vacant positions to be filled. The HAJ closed off on applications for a sixth vacant senior position on Friday — that of senior manager, engineering and design, which provides strategic direction and guides research, design concepts, market analysis, estimates and assumptions.

The HAJ is a land and housing development company providing shelter solutions for Jamaicans. Wholly owned by the Government, it falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, and its core services include providing shelter solutions on the open market, mortgage servicing and upgrading informal settlements.

It was formed in 1998 through the merger of three entities— Caribbean Housing Finance Corporation Limited, National Housing Corporation Limited, and Operation Pride.

Webber told the Sunday Observer, in answer to questions about the future of the agency and the obvious scaling down of some programmes, that with the HAJ now required to finance its operations, it has limited revenue to pay for social projects, compared to the past.

“We have to make money for a living, so if it is less that way, yes,” she said. “Our business model has shifted and we are refining the business model to build houses for low-income persons, like our Bernard Lodge project. We don’t get funding. We have to fund ourselves.

“I want to focus on what is ahead of us for the next 30 months. That is our focus, what we are doing as a team, and we met (with the staff) on Wednesday to discuss that,” she said.

Minister without portfolio with responsibility for housing, Dr Morais Guy, told the House of Representatives in May that the Bernard Lodge project, the largest to be undertaken by the HAJ, will be financed and constructed by a foreign investor, Malphrus International. The capital outlay will be approximately $5.6 billion, to be expended over three years.

He also said that Cabinet had given approval for requests by the HAJ to enter into public/private partnership agreements for the delivery of 778 houses/serviced lots in Grange Pen, St James; and another 176 in Hopewell, Hanover, both of which will be developed mainly for tourism sector workers.

Cabinet has also approved the award of a contract by the HAJ, in the sum of $390 million, to construct 173 studio units at Whitehall Phase 3 in Westmoreland, while another agreement will facilitate the development of approximately 200 starter/studio units in Colbeck, St Catherine.

A memorandum of understanding for Shooters Hill in Portmore, St Catherine for another 600 solutions has also been approved by the Cabinet.

In the meantime, work is advanced at Belle Air 3 in St Ann and a contract for similar works at Luana Gardens in St Elizabeth is expected to be signed this fiscal year to conclude the Jamaica Economical Housing Programme financed by the Chinese Ex-Im Bank.