Photo: Donald De La Haye
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (centre), cuts the ribbon to hand over a three-bedroom unit under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) to Marvene King (second left) in French Park, South Manchester on Friday (Sept. 4). Sharing the moment (from left) are: Chairperson for the NSHP Oversight Committee, Judith Robb Walters; Miss King’s mother, Veta Holness; and her daughter, Tresenia Burton.
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (second left), shares a light moment with (from left) Chairperson for the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) Oversight Committee, Judith Robb Walters; NSHP beneficiary, Marvene King; her daughter Tresenia Burton, and mother, Veta Holness. Occasion was the hand over of a new three-bedroom house to Miss King in French Park, South Manchester on Friday (Sept. 4).
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (second left), addresses a ceremony for the handover of a three-bedroom unit under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) to Marvene King (third left) in French Park, South Manchester, on Friday (Sept. 4). Listening (from left) are: Chairperson for the Oversight Committee of the NSHP, Judith Robb Walters; Miss King’s daughter, Tresenia Burton, and her mother, Veta Holness.
The Full Story
The Government is overhauling the public bureaucracy to speed up the delivery of critical benefits to Jamaicans, while preserving procurement rules, transparency and accountability, says Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
He was speaking on Friday (Sept. 4), at the handover of a three-bedroom unit under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) to Marvene King in French Park, South Manchester.
Miss King, her daughter and mother were displaced after their home was destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in 2024, and the new house will provide the family with a safe and secure place to live.
The Prime Minister, in noting the two years it took for the delivery of the housing unit to the family, said that people who lose their homes to hurricanes, fires, floods, or other disasters must be able to receive assistance much more quickly to mitigate their distress and improve their well-being and welfare.
“The next phase of this Government…is the reform of the public bureaucracy to be able to deliver the benefits quickly,” he said, noting that the various rules and procedures must be reviewed to determine whether some steps are no longer necessary.
He said that technology, improved planning and more efficient business processes could also significantly reduce processing times.
The Prime Minister emphasised that declaring a situation an emergency does not eliminate the need for established government processes to be followed.
“The fact that things are considered an emergency does not take away the need for there to be a process through which urgent needs are fulfilled,” he said.
The Prime Minister hailed Miss King for her patience and resilience and urged her to serve her community and assist others in distress.
The NSHP, established in 2018 under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, provides safe, sustainable and quality homes to vulnerable and low-income families.
The programme has a target of delivering 6,000 housing solutions islandwide as part of efforts to help break cycles of intergenerational poverty.
Last Updated: September 6, 2026
