WATCH: Gov’t ministers blast ‘one-house’ rhetoric from critics Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Two Government ministers are pushing back at criticisms of the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), arguing that ‘one house’ is better than no house for those in need.

There has been much criticism, especially from supporters of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), of the NSHP, suggesting that it will not address the housing needs locally, as relatively few houses are being built under the initiative.

In fact, Prime Minister Andrew Holness was blasted by Opposition Leader Mark Golding for attending several NHSP handing-over ceremonies.

“We see the prime minister going around the country to make a big deal over handing over one house here and one house there,” Golding said at a PNP political meeting in July.

“He came to my constituency to Hopeful Village and handed over one house and it was a house that cost over $9 million to build. One person got the benefit of that house when hundreds and thousands have got nothing.

“Comrades, that is not balanced development! That is not putting the people in the centre of development of the country,” suggested Golding then.

However, Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Desmond McKenzie, and Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Floyd Green, rubbished the “one house” argument at the handing-over of two houses under the NSHP programme in Central Kingston on Thursday.

According to McKenzie, the handing over of even one house is still an achievement.

“The need for housing is a number one priority for the Government of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and there are some persons who are critical, talking about all we doing is going around and handing over one house,” said McKenzie.

“Is better we hand over one (house) more than don’t hand over none at all, and it is not the impact of the one house that matters, it is what the one house has to support, because there are families that don’t have a fraction of one that are grateful for whatever they get,” he declared.

McKenzie, a former Mayor of Kingston and the current Member of Parliament (MP) for West Kingston, said the Holness Administration will not be dissuaded by what he described as “silly criticisms”.

“We are not going to be deterred by any silly criticisms about our policies. It is our responsibility as Government to respond to the social needs of areas such as Southside and other communities right across the country,” he argued.

For Green, who was the guest speaker at the handing-over ceremony, he said critics of the NSHP programme are “disconnected” from the realities of Jamaica.

“… When I hear some of them run up and down and talk about house and one-one house, you know what I realise? They are disconnected from Jamaica,” he asserted.

“They don’t appreciate people because a house is not (just) a house; a house is about the people who are benefiting from the structure that you have put in place,” said Green.

Under the programme, the minister said 98 houses have been completed, with another 50 houses under construction. He said approximately 500 Jamaicans across the island are benefiting from the initiative.

“Isn’t that a Government who cares?” asked Green.

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