Dear Editor,

I must say that I am in absolute agreement with Andrew King’s January 19, 2016 article ‘Affordable housing crisis for young professionals’.

I would also go further to add that a great number of young people have to leave their homes outside of the Corporate Area (what Kingstonians like to refer to as “country”) to seek employment. The vast majority of viable employment is in the Corporate Area and not many of these young professionals have parents who are willing and/or able to foot the cost of their housing while they get on their feet.

I can speak from personal experience that I have had to turn down employment opportunities when I first left university because neither I, nor my parents could afford the deposit and first month’s rent that most landlords ask for. That coupled with the first month’s travel, food and other expenses is just too much.

As corporate entities are moving to downtown Kingston, there is a great proactive opportunity for our Government to lend some assistance. There are several derelict buildings downtown that can be converted to housing facilities and a number of us young people, myself included, would flock to more affordable housing.

This could quite help plug the brain drain, and it is also a great way to revamp downtown and return it to its former glory. A glory that I have not seen in my lifetime.

Odel Thelwell

odel.kerine@gmail.com