NEWS YOU CAN USE: The Indigent Housing Programme
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development reintroduced the Indigent Housing Programme in 2017 under its Municipal Social Assistance Programme (MSAP).
The Ministry appreciates that housing is a fundamental need and should be provided as a right to every individual.
The demand for this initiative outweighs the supply. Subsidized housing, whether in the form of fully furnished units or helping with renovations, continues to be one of the main requests made of the Poor Relief Departments at the Municipal Corporations (formerly Parish Councils).
Poor Relief currently caters to over 14,000 Registered Poor Clients. Data gleaned from field visits indicate that many of these individuals’ housing conditions are deplorable and sometimes structurally unsafe.
Through the Indigent Housing Programme which was designed to address the housing difficulties faced by the poor and most vulnerable, the Ministry has completed 59 units islandwide, with work ongoing on 19 units.
Applicants for the Indigent Housing Programme are screened through the Poor Relief Departments, where an investigation and verification procedure are carried out to establish need. Applicants must also demonstrate ownership of the property on which the house is to be built or provide documentation that they are lawfully entitled to tenure on such property.
The Ministry has developed three (3) types of solutions:
- A studio unit
- One bedroom unit
- Two (2) bedroom family unit
The houses are made of concrete for longevity and sloped roofs that enable rainwater harvesting. Basic furnishing is also included.
For further information contact:
The Board of Supervision
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
61 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10
Telephone: 876-618-7360-9
Email: bos@mlgcd.gov.jm
