Putting gov’t plaques on beneficiaries’ homes is dehumanising, says Brown Burke
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Social Protection and Social Transformation, Dr Angela Brown Burke, is calling on the Government to remove what she says are plaques bearing the prime minister’s name from houses built under the New HOPE Social Housing Programme, arguing that the practice undermines the dignity of beneficiaries.
In a statement issued on Friday, Brown Burke criticised the reported placement of the plaques on homes delivered through the programme, describing it as an attempt to turn vulnerable Jamaicans into tools for political promotion.
“Every Jamaican deserves a safe roof over their head. But no Jamaican should have to pay for that roof with their privacy and dignity,” she said.
“A home is a place of refuge, pride and peace. It is not, and should never be, a billboard. Yet that is exactly what this Government has turned these homes into: a permanent advertisement announcing that the people inside were once in need,” Brown Burke continued.
The Opposition spokesperson stressed that social housing is funded by the taxes of the Jamaican people and delivered by the state, not by any single politician.
“When you put one person’s name on a house paid for by all of us, you send a dangerous message. You tell struggling families that they should be personally grateful to an individual, instead of being assured of their right as citizens,” she said.
“Worse, you mark them. You expose vulnerable mothers, children and elders to stigma and public scrutiny for the rest of their lives. That is not social protection. That is branding,” Brown Burke said.
She warned that such practices blur the line between public service and political campaigning, and have no place in a country that claims to value every citizen.
“Jamaica deserves better. Our people deserve better. Dignity is not negotiable,” she declared.
The Opposition is calling on the Government to remove any existing plaques, end the practice permanently and adopt a policy for recognising national projects that, it says, respects the dignity of beneficiaries.
“Social protection must empower, not embarrass. It must lif people up, not label them,” Brown Burke said.
In this file photo Opposition Member of Parliament Dr Angela Brown-Burke speaking during the sitting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)
