ST JAMES, Jamaica – At the handing over of a housing unit in St James recently, Prime Minister Andrew Holness indicated that the government is developing another dimension of the social housing programme, aimed at repairing homes and making them more climate resilient.

The prime minister noted that he has heard the recommendations of Jamaicans, who are generally pleased with the provision of a new and complete housing structures for approved beneficiaries, but have raised the concerns that there are many housing structures that do not require a total rebuild, only repairs or partial rebuilds that would substantially improve living conditions.

He further pointed out that from surveying the damage to the housing stock cause by Hurricane Beryl, much of the dislocation of households were due to substandard roofing construction practices and the advance stage of deterioration and disrepair of the structure.

Holness announced that as the country seeks to improve the housing stock for poor households and make them resilient to climate change, the government will develop a programme aimed at not only assisting qualified households with repairs but targeting the repairs to create at least one climate resilient, “strong room” in each approved dwelling.

This new element of the social housing programme is likely to be launched in the coming weeks.