CANEWOOD, Portland — For years Recardo “Bad Luck” Gibson has lived with the indignity of a house so badly in need of repair that he had no privacy.

“People used to pass and look at me into the house, as it was in a deplorable condition. Now, they can’t pass and see me inside the house,” he said gratefully after he and his wife Diana received a home in Canewood, Portland, under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and Member of Parliament for Portland Western Daryl Vaz were at the handing over ceremony last Friday, and Gibson was effusive in expressing his thanks.

“I feel good and appreciate you, Mr Prime Minister, and the Member of Parliament, who heard of my condition and got help for me. I feel so good because nobody can pass and see me again inside. Thanks to God. I appreciate you all. On behalf of my family I’m saying thanks to God, thank you for the blessings. [I hope] that you can help other people like me that were in my condition,” said Gibson.

In handing over the house Holness spoke of the impact it will have on Gibson and his relatives as well as their neighbours. The wider community’s turnout in celebration of the family’s new house, the prime minister said, was a sign of the effectiveness of the programme.

Permanent secretary, Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Arlene Williams (second right) ensures that documents are correctly signed by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (third right) and Member of Parliament for Portland Western, Daryl Vaz (right). New Social Housing Programme beneficiary Recardo Gibson (seated, left) and his wife Diana (standing) pay close attention. (Photo: Everard Owen)

“The person selected is definitely a person in need; and the person getting it has been made better off. As a result of that, the entire community, and everybody’s welfare, has improved. Having this lovely structure in the community has lifted the community. When others of you are deciding to [build] you are going to say, ‘I want my house to look like this and to be as strong as this.’ So this house also changes the possibilities for you, your expectations. This lifts the community,” the prime minister told the crowd.

However, Holness reiterated the challenge of meeting his Government’s commitment to deliver 6,000 units under NSHP.

“It is not as if we are building 6,000 houses in one location where we can benefit from the economies of scale — it is across the entire country. The logistics of transportation and movement of labour, it’s dispersed all over the island, going up into the hills and valleys and all kinds of areas that are very difficult to engineer buildings. That is where people have land so that is where we have to bring the houses,” he outlined.

The prime minister explained, however, that Hurricane Melissa had forced NSHP to pivot and “support the deployment” of container homes for residents in parishes hardest hit by last October’s passage of the Category 5 storm.

“The new direction of the New Social Housing Programme is not just to build the houses but to stimulate a change in building culture in Jamaica at the grass roots level, and so they are working on a programme for that,” Holness said.

A grateful Recardo Gibson shares his experience of receiving a house, last Friday, under the New Social Housing Programme. (Photo: Everard Owen)

He encouraged Gibson to care for his home, stay away from illegal activity, and pay his utility bills.

In his address during the event Vaz noted that in his 20 years as an MP he has provided 500 individuals with houses. This, he said, was accomplished by partnering with various governmental, non-governmental, and charitable organisations, along with 10 early childhood institutions.

He stressed that beneficiaries were impartially selected.

“There is no favouritism; it is strictly on a needs basis, prime minister. You have my assurance that that is the way we operate and we continue to operate” Vaz said.

— Everard Owen