HEAD of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Keith Duncan is courting a buy-in from interests in the sector for Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) to improve the living conditions of Jamaicans who inhabit squatter settlements across the island.

“Over 20 per cent of our citizens reside in 584 squatter communities in Jamaica, with over 316 being in urban areas without proper infrastructure, sanitation, solid waste and sewage. The relocation of these communities is an imperative for Jamaica and should be further prioritised by the Government of Jamaica,” Duncan said, in highlighting the aspect of the NSHP which deals with relocation of vulnerable communities.

He was speaking at the ceremonial signing of an memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and Arc Properties Limited for the contribution of housing units to the programme at Jamaica House in St Andrew on Tuesday.

According to Duncan, the private sector in partnership with the Government could be pivotal in addressing this challenge. He said there would be several positives to citizens should the country overcome the problems posed by squatting communities, such as healthier living conditions, reduced poverty, more socially cohesive communities and reduced public health costs.

The NSHP, which is a component of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, was developed in 2018 to improve the living condition of the country’s poor and disadvantaged population by providing quality, affordable and sustainable housing.

Duncan also pointed to the need for the country to upskill and train the labour force to meet the needs of the growing economy, and argued that housing solutions will also be required for an expanding workforce.

“The existing gap is significant and that continues to grow on an annual basis. We take note of the announcement of the prime minister last year to build 70,000 low-income [housing] solutions over the next four years, which is quite ambitious but should go a long way in closing the gap,” Duncan said, adding, “we commend GOJ on new housing social programme as there have been many starts and stops over the last five decades”.

“We have had missteps along the way under both Administrations so this is definitely a step in the right direction,” he said further.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, addressing Duncan’s misgivings, said every effort was made to ensure that the project remains above board.

“I listened carefully to the PSOJ president who said we have tired this before and there have been missteps. Well, Mr President, there will be no missteps in this one; you will never hear any complaints about improper procurement, any form of corruption, any misdirection of resources or favouritism. You are not going to hear that about this programme. We have built in every protection to make sure that the programme is integrous and that people can have faith in the programme,” Holness declared.