Opposition stands by NHT drawdown criticism, calls for gov’t to provide affordable housing

The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is standing by its criticism of the Government over the continued drawdown of funds from the National Housing Trust (NHT), arguing that the administration is withdrawing money from the trust while failing to provide adequate affordable housing solutions for contributors.

“What is truly vulgar is the sustained assault on the institution meant to deliver affordable housing and the blatant hypocrisy now on display by the Holness administration,” the PNP said in a statement on Thursday.

Opposition Spokesperson on Housing, Senator Dr Floyd Morris, argued that since assuming office, the Holness administration has amended the law twice to extend annual NHT withdrawals of $11.4 billion, enabling approximately $114 billion to be taken over the past decade.

Proposals are now on the table to extract a further $57 billion over the next five years. Morris described this as blatant hypocrisy.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Housing Trust, yet the Prime Minister, in whose portfolio housing resides, has made no statement recognising this milestone or reaffirming the Trust’s founding purpose. Instead, Jamaicans face yet another proposed amendment to the NHT Act to facilitate further extractions,” Morris said.

Morris argued that the NHT belongs to its contributors and that any government that raids it while failing to build affordable homes has no moral authority to lecture anyone about principle or decency.

He described it as vulgar to sanction the pillaging of the institution meant to put a roof over the heads of those who need it most.

“During this same period, Jamaicans have endured a deepening housing crisis, with this administration delivering the lowest level of affordable housing of any recent government,” he added.

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