NHT going against its mission statement
THE EDITOR, Madam:
THE NATIONAL Housing Trust (NHT) has rolled out a brand new set of housing units at Ruthven Road in St Andrew called Ruthven Towers, and many lower- to middleincome earners are appalled and crying foul, as the price tag on the units are way beyond their reach. One might argue that this is ‘due to the geographical location’.
The bigger question is: what is NHT’s mission? And for whom the trust was created to cater? NHT mission statement says: ‘Improving the quality of life of Jamaicans by facilitating home ownership and community development, (read this) PARTICULARLY AMONG LOW INCOME PERSONS’.
Really now, NHT? NHT advertised several solutions in the major newspapers and on the online platforms for “qualified contributors” to apply for these solutions at the Ruthven Towers.
We were, therefore, begged to ask some questions of the NHT, questions that have been long asked of the trust.
Who are the ‘qualified contributors’? Because, evidently, these units, and others before, are priced beyond the affordability of lower- to middle-class income earners. Even if three of these persons came together, they still would be unable to afford one unit. Being mindful that the ceiling to one contributor is $6.5 million. The prices for a one-bedroom, onebathroom unit ranges from $27.7 million to $28.9 million, and for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit, it is $35 million to $37.7 million.
Is it a case that the NHT is using lower- to middle-income earners’ contribution to facilitate the rich among us? Because, obviously, the average contributor is unable to afford units like these. If we pay close attention, maybe we will see that these units will be bought and used as short-term rentals (AirBnB), and/or even bought by those who can afford to pay such prices and, in turn, rented to contributors, who are unable to buy these units.
Or is the NHT encouraging squatting? It is no secret that due to the unavailability of housing solutions and lands, many Jamaicans have, unfortunately, resorted to squatting. This has created informal settlements, which has resulted in all kinds of social ills. Furthermore, this even forces Jamaicans to settle in areas that are prone to flooding and landslides.
We are, therefore, calling on the Government, in particular the minister who is responsible for housing and community development, to address this error and cruelty to NHT contributors and ensure that the NHT fulfils its true mandate and obligation to the contributors.
As the saying goes: “The rich will be richer and the poor gets poorer.” We believe this is unfair to the low-income contributors. Going against their mission statement is quite shameful of the NHT. Where is the accountability?
GREGORY MCDERMOTT gregorymcdermott55@gmail.com