KINGSTON, Jamaica – Beneficiaries of the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) will now be guided by a social contract, outlining the initiative’s policies.

“We have [added] a new feature to the programme, which is that the beneficiary will sign [this] contract. It’s a simple document, which outlines the duties and responsibilities of the beneficiary,” said Prime Minister, Andrew Holness.

He was speaking during a ceremony to hand over three houses under the NSHP to residents in Curtis Bottom, St Thomas Eastern, on Wednesday, October 26.

Holness explained that the contract reinforces the intended purpose of the house, which is to provide a shelter solution for the recipient.

“So there are some duties and responsibilities there for the maintenance of the house, [and] if you plan to expand on the house, you should let us know,” he informed.

The prime minister emphasised that approval for any expansion of NSHP houses must be sought from the respective municipal corporations.

“We don’t want [you] to put up a structure that then turns out to be a problem to the community… that turns out to be a bar that operates all hours of the night and disturbs the neighbours. So, we are putting this, now, in a contract that will specify what your obligations and duties are in [relation to] the house,” Holness expounded.

The latest houses handed over now brings the number delivered under the NSHP to 106.

The programme, designed to improve the housing condition of the country’s most vulnerable, was conceptualised by the prime minister and implemented in 2018.

It is a component of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, and is facilitated through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.