Black Immigrant Daily News
The question of which of the two major political parties locally has done a better job of providing housing solutions for the Jamaican people is taking centre-stage ahead of Local Government Elections which are due by February 2023.
On Friday, the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Spokesman on Housing and Sustainable Living, Floyd Morris, defended his party’s record in this area. He even defended the controversial Programme for Resettlement, Integrated Development Enterprise (Operation PRIDE).
Morris was speaking in the Senate as he made his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate.
By Sunday, the Minister with responsibility for information, Robert Morgan, who is also the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Clarendon North Central, charged that Prime Minister Andrew Holness had opened more houses for Jamaicans than any other prime minister.
He also took a swipe at the PNP, which he described as “chalk”, while referring to the governing JLP as “cheese”, as he pointed out what he described as the many accomplishments of the JLP, housing solutions being chief among them.
“Dem talk bout house, dem say dem build house fi poor people — unu ever see no PNP minister or prime minister open as much (many) houses as (Prime Minister) Andrew Holness? Make we look pon di facts,” said Morgan.
Robert Morgan
He cited that when the JLP retook the reins of Government in February 2016, the National Housing Trust (NHT) built 1,859 houses that year.
“Di first time wi lick it inna 2017, wi guh 3,000 house fi di year; 2018, we guh over 5,000 house fi di year; 2019 we guh over 6,000 house fi di year, and prime minister has now announced that we a build 70,000 house fi people who contribute to the NHT. PNP a chalk, JLP a cheese,” Morgan stated.
For his part, Morris not only defended the PNP’s record in housing, he went further by defending Operation PRIDE that was established by former Prime Minister PJ Patterson in 1994.
His tone was more measured, as he acknowledged that the various political administrations had over the years, implemented diverse housing projects to improve the living conditions of Jamaicans. He presented what he called a “sample of projects implemented by PNP administrations”.
“Let us never forget that it was the Rt Excellent Norman Manley (PNP founder) in the 1950s that (who) introduced the first set of housing schemes in the island. Mona, Hope Pastures and Harbour View are among these seminal achievements,” said Morris.
“Thousands of Jamaicans owned their homes through this housing initiative. Indeed, these housing developments triggered the establishment of a new middle-class in Jamaica,” he added.
Morris told the Senate that “In the 1970s, the venerable and indefatigable Michael Manley triggered the housing transformation in Jamaica. This was led by the creation of the National Housing Trust in 1976. Between 1976 and 1980 alone, over 40,000 housing units were delivered to Jamaicans through the NHT. The era of the thatch houses and the wattle and daub was coming to an end, thanks to the visionary housing policies of Michael Manley.”
Morris also stated that the NHT has indicated that it has built over 110,000 houses over its 45-year existence.
In the face of recent criticism from the JLP, Morris defended the PRIDE programme.
JLP Members of Parliament have raised questions about Operation PRIDE both inside and outside Parliament, and have pointed out that up to $9 billion associated with the programme has gone unaccounted for.
The MP for Trelawny Northern, Tova Hamilton, recently criticised the programme during her contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate. According to Hamilton, more than 20 years after a number of her constituents made deposits on Government-owned lands for the construction of houses under the Operation Pride programme, the promised development is yet to materialise.
But, Morris insisted on Friday that “Patterson embarked on one of the most commendable and comprehensive initiatives to deal with the historical injustices of slavery”.
Floyd Morris
He said Operation PRIDE delivered over 58,000 titles and certificates of possession to ordinary Jamaicans across the island.
“We can proudly say Pines of Karachi, developed by PJ, Wentworth in St Mary, developed by PJ, Mount Edgecombe in St Ann, developed by PJ, Luana in St Elizabeth, developed by PJ, Melrose Mews in Manchester, developed by PJ, Langston apartment in St Andrew, developed by PJ.”
“We make absolutely no apologies about the Operation PRIDE developments,” Morris stated even as he acknowledged that there were problems with the programme.
“I say emphatically, yes,” he said about whether there were problems with the programme.
As to whether questionable decisions were made relative to the programme, Morris said “probably”.
“However, Operation PRIDE brought significant benefits to thousands of Jamaicans who would not have received the chance to own a piece of this rock. We in the PNP create opportunities for the small man to gain access to and be included in the society by implementing initiatives such as Operation PRIDE,” said the Opposition senator.
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