One of the most enduring legacies of the Michael Manley Administration of the 1970s was the formation of the National Housing Trust (NHT).

You may criticise his Administration for many things, and justifiably so, but what cannot be denied is the thought and passion that Manley displayed in setting up the trust. He was convinced that this was one of the best ways in which the ordinary Jamaican would be able to secure a roof over his or her head. It cemented the view that owning a home was among the most significant achievements that any citizen could make.

Over successive administrations, the trust has undergone several iterations. Political tentacles that are deeply interwoven in the fabric of Jamaican life have influenced the organisation over the years.

As a cash cow, the funds of the NHT have been diverted for use not specifically related to providing housing solutions for the most vulnerable among us. But one can say without any fear of contradiction that by and large the trust has not wavered from its basic philosophy to provide houses for the populace. It is in the parlous delivery of housing solutions that we have a glaring problem. No Government since the inception of the trust can claim that it has been instrumental in providing, on a yearly basis, a robust delivery of homes to Jamaicans. This is a problem that is impatient of a solution.

Building a house of any size in Jamaica today is a very expensive exercise. There is perhaps no area of national life in which cost inputs are higher than in the housing/construction sector. In any given country these account for the rapid increase in the inflation rate. A ton of steel costing $200,000 today is likely to be increased by $10,000 next week.

Vladimir Putin’s war in the Ukraine and supply chain problems from the pandemic are the twin scapegoats that are used to justify phenomenal price increases in these commodities. One is not saying that there is no justification for these increases, but it seems clear that there is no structure, rhyme, or reason to these increases. Price gouging is clearly taking place. Hardware stores simply slap on, almost on a daily basis, what they conceive to be a price that can make them survive. Couple these twin scapegoats with the erratic exchange rate and you have a tsunami of price increases waiting to happen.

The cost inputs in a one-bedroom or two-bedroom housing unit are horrendous. Any institution like the NHT that is dedicated to building these houses will find itself up a creek if it is not clear what it is doing. I believe it is in this context that Prime Minister Andrew Holness made what is to some people an indelicate and cruel statement when he said that the NHT is not a charitable organisation. Neither was it intended to be so when Manley introduced the concept in the 1970s. If you listen to the rantings of certain People’s National Party (PNP) spokespersons you would think the Government should embark on a grand giveaway programme.

If you listen to the enlightened Damion Crawford as he addressed a crowd of PNP supporters you would get the impression that the Government is a set of rabid capitalists who are bent on denying housing solutions to the poor.

Mark Golding, his leader, seems to be conveying the same impression after lauding Michael “Joshua” Manley’s passion for giving workers the opportunity to own homes. He seems to suggest that the JLP is not seized with an equal passion; that what they are about is profit maximisation at the expense of poor people getting homes.

The PNP is on the wrong track here. It is disingenuous to mischaracterise the JLP’s concern about providing houses for people on the predicate that they are not concerned about housing the poor when their insistence is to accomplish this task in a business-like manner, free from the risk of reckless spending.

I am sure the PNP understands this, but has to indulge the usual grandstanding with which it has become associated in recent times. Both parties want to reach the same destination of providing housing solutions to the country. It is how you reach that destination that is important.

In saying that the NHT is not a charitable organisation, I hear the prime minister saying that the best business practices must be adhered to. Profit maximisation may not be the goal, but good business and financial practices must be the hallmark of housing delivery. This is especially important given the high cost of building any size house today. Crawford might not be seized of this reality, but I believe his leader, as a premier businessman, would understand these exigencies.

TO BAIL OR NOT TO BAIL

Marlene Malahoo Forte, minister of legal and constitutional affairs, stated in the Parliament recently that those who commit murder or who are found with illegal firearms should not be given bail when arrested for these offences. She asserted this with the catchy suggestion that if you are charged for any such offence, you cannot be at large.

The present system allows a judge the discretionary power to grant bail. This is predicated on the cardinal legal principle to which this country still subscribes — that one is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The assumption of innocence thus protects an accused person’s right to be free until the matter is adjudicated and dispensed with in court. Without this protection people’s rights can be arbitrarily dealt with.

In saying this, bail cannot be automatic but must be judged on the basis of credible arguments before a judge who will then act judiciously in granting or denying bail. I am no lawyer, but I do not think that such denial can be carte blanche or captured in a legislation which goes against the fundamental principle of innocence until proven guilty. The Government must tread carefully here.

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storm and Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.