KINGSTON, Jamaica – Units delivered to the neediest in the society under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) are built through a competitive contracting process, says Prime MinisterAndrew Holness.

The prime minister said the system to finalise beneficiaries for the houses is quite transparent, as after a recommendation is made, it must be established that the individual has a need and they own the property where the unit is to be built, emphasising that contractors are selected after a public notice is issued for them to apply.

“Then we have to scope the work, get it properly planned out, and designed, get the necessary approval, then we have to go to procurement, because this is not about giving out contracts,” he said, at a ribbon-cutting exercise for a three-bedroom unit in Kitson Town, St Catherine, on December 4.

Noting that thousands of persons are desirous of obtaining houses under the NSHP, Holness said the process takes time, because it “does not happen overnight”, as there are several steps that are in place “to protect Government’s revenues, to ensure fairness and transparency in the construction and delivery of the house”.

He said the beneficiary, Byron Hibbert, a retired public servant who lost his dwelling to a fire and had to be living with family members, met the criteria for the unit. “You were well qualified to benefit under this programme,” Holness said.

For his part, Member of Parliament for St Catherine West Central, Dr Christopher Tufton, said after Hibbert’s house was destroyed, he experienced severe hardship, and had he not received the unit, he “would have had significant difficulties replacing his lifelong asset”.

In his response, Hibbert said he was very thankful that the prime minister had established the programme, through which he could become a beneficiary.

The NSHP was created by Holness in 2018, under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, with oversight by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

The initiative aims to improve the housing condition of the country’s most needy population, through the provision of quality, affordable and sustainable housing, and consists of three modalities. The first is the provision of indigent housing, with the benefits equitably distributed across all 63 constituencies, with each constituency receiving five units per annum.

– JIS