Linton P. Gordon
The issue of inadequate housing in the tourist areas on the NorthCoast, especially for the working class, continues to be a sore problem. There is a cry for more housing solution coming from workers in Portland, Saint Mary, Saint Ann, Trelawny, Saint James, Hanover and Westmoreland.The National Housing Trust (NHT) is the main source of housing for the working class. This entity is to work alongside contractors and developers by providing comparatively cheaper sources of financing for them so that they, in turn, can provide housing at a lower cost to contributors.The NHT has the responsibility of pursuing a policy of ensuring that workers at the lower end or the income scale will realize their dream of owning a home.The recent purchase of the Outameni Property by the National Housing Trust has given the impression that the Trust has lost its way. The entity has not kept up with the demand for housing. The provision of housing solutions in Jamaica lags far behind the level of demand. Successive Governments make promises to increase the stock of housing in the country but none has ever been able to meet the demand. Traditionally a People’s National Party administration provides more housing solution than a Jamaica Labour Party administration. However, the present PNP administration is falling woefully behind in its effort to provide housing solutions. The administration seems more enthusiastic to develop and regularise informal and squatter settlements. While this is politically attractive and may benefit the Party at the polls, the long run effect is that the areas in which these communities are developed experience an increase in crime, lawlessness and a reduction in market value of other properties.
It is better for the country for there to be proper and well organised housing developments with appropriate infrastructure and utilities, than to have these informal settlements with improper roads and inadequate utilities.
GARRISON SETTLEMENTS
In St Ann, for example, there is a feeling among workers and original residents that the political representatives give priority to squatter settlements and informal settlements, solely in order to manage and control them as a block of voters who they can rely on to keep them in power. In so doing various acts of illegality and irregular developments are tolerated. The politicians involved turn a blind eye to acts they should condemn.So long as politicians continue to support squatters and the establishment of illegal settlements we will continue to have the emergence of these communities. When squatters are given prime lands to live on and are rewarded with registered titles for these lands the authorities are rewarding illegal activities When this is done we can expect to have more and more squatting because potential squatters will have it in their minds that a way to acquire property without purchasing it is to squat on lands and wait on politicians to develop the property and provide titles.
TELL US, NHT
The National Housing Trust needs to publish, on a regular basis, the extent to which it is providing housing solutions in accordance with its mandate. Such information should be provided to the public regularly so that we can all know how the NHT has been using the funds collected from contributors.
Those responsible for managing the NHT need to accept that they are operating the entity on our behalf and not on their behalf. They need, therefore, to extend to members of the public regular reports so that we can in turn assess their performance. Those in charge of the NHT, at all levels, must be humble enough to accept that they are servants of the people and not some special beings who are perched on some high pedestal talking down to the rest of us.Communities with well laid out and well managed housing solutions are easier to manage and the police and public utilities find it much easier to relate to citizens in these communities. It is also easier to provide service, maintain service, and to manage the respective public utilities services to these communities. There is a growing sense of frustration with and mistrust of the National Housing Trust among contributors. Some believe that the Trust is not doing enough to assist in providing houses especially for those who earn low income. Others experience rude, offensive and insensitive employees at some of the offices of the National Housing Trust. It is perhaps time to revisit the leadership of the NHT in a serious way. We need to ensure that we do have the best persons leading the National Housing Trust and that these persons have as their primary objective the provision of housing solutions for the contributors.
