PNP slams Holness for continued drawdown of NHT funds
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) has criticised the Government’s plan to extract a further $57 billion over the next five years from the National Housing Trust (NHT), describing the proposal as “vulgar”.
In a statement on Thursday, Senator Floyd Morris, the party’s spokesperson on housing, hit out against recent comments by the Jamaica Labour Party’s Abka Fitz Henley, accusing Opposition Leader Mark Golding of vulgar politicking for criticising the continued drawdown of NHT funds.
“What is truly vulgar is the sustained assault on the institution meant to deliver affordable housing and the blatant hypocrisy now on display by the Holness administration,” the PNP said.
Citing the 50th anniversary of the National Housing Trust, the PNP said the prime minister, in whose portfolio housing resides, has made no statement recognising this milestone or reaffirming NHT’s founding purpose. Instead, it said Jamaicans face yet another proposed amendment to the NHT Act to facilitate further extractions.
Morris argued that what is vulgar is “depriving working Jamaicans of their chance to own a home while billions are siphoned from the very institution created to help them”.
He pointed to 2013 when then-Opposition Leader Andrew Holness supported taking the then Government to court, arguing that the withdrawal of billions from the NHT for budgetary support violated the property rights of contributors.
Morris noted that Holness publicly committed to ring-fencing those funds exclusively for housing.
The spokesperson said that since assuming office, however, Holness’ administration has amended the law twice to extend annual withdrawals of $11.4 billion, enabling approximately $114 billion to be taken over the past decade.
Pointing to proposals now on the table to extract a further $57 billion over the next five years, Morris described it as blatant hypocrisy.
Morris emphasised that the NHT belongs to its contributors and any government that raids it while failing to build affordable homes has no moral authority to lecture anyone about principle or decency. He described it as vulgar to sanction the pillaging of the institution meant to put a roof over the heads of those who need it most.
“During this same period, Jamaicans have endured a deepening housing crisis with this administration delivering the lowest level of affordable housing of any recent government,” the PNP added.
