Opposition Leader Mark Golding has promised to make the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) the lead developer for low-income housing in the island, if the People’s National Party (PNP) is elected government after the constitutionally due general elections this year.

This was the second part of the PNP housing strategy, which he unveiled during his Budget Debate presentation in Parliament last evening. The first part of the strategy is housing promises through the National Housing Trust (NHT), which he detailed on Tuesday (March 18).

Golding argued that most private developers have not been focusing on affordable housing because the return on investment is not as attractive as in the market’s middle- to upper-income bands, declaring, “We will be using the HAJ to drive the construction of 48 low-income housing. Our plan is to build 50,000 affordable houses over the next five years. These will be one-bedroom starter units.”

Housing solutions for low-income earners

The opposition leader explained that approximately 50 per cent of NHT contributors earn less than J$30,000 per week noting that they cannot find a house on the market that falls within their income band. As such, the government has a duty to protect its citizens positing that under a new PNP Government, the HAJ will be filling this gap.

He told the parliament that under the PNP’s plan NHT contributors, who are purchasing these houses will not have to pay for the land portion of the overall value, thus increasing the affordability and investment value to these buyers. 

“We have already started to develop a database of government lands that are available for housing. These are being identified across the island. When we form government, we will not be sitting and waiting for lands to be identified, as the work is already being done,” the PNP president said to thundering applause from his side of the aisle.

PORTIA housing initiative

The third part of the PNP’s housing strategy is to roll out the Programme for the Orderly Renewal and Transformation of Infrastructure in all Areas (PORTIA), which is named in honour of former Prime Minister and PNP president, Portia Simpson-Miller.

“We will be building social houses, tearing down zinc fences and replacing them with concrete walls. We will be constructing sidewalks to facilitate ease of movement for persons with disabilities and senior citizens. And, most importantly, we will be completing all those Operation PRIDE projects 49 that have been left unfinished, which this government has ignored over the past nine years,” Golding declared.

He said the goal is to bring dignified housing and create secure, organised communities out of these informal settlements.