Social Houses handed over in Central Kingston

Posted on October 13, 2022October 13, 2022

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Two social housing solutions were handed to needy families in Central Kingston through the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

In his remarks, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said more than 40 housing units have been constructed within the Corporate Area under the Ministry’s Indigent Housing programme.

He added that funding has been earmarked for the construction of three additional houses in Central Kingston under the programme.

“The need for housing is the number one priority for the Government. It is our responsibility as a Government to respond to the social needs of areas such as Southside (Central Kingston) and other communities right across the country, “the Minister shared.

“There is a need for serious social intervention in Central Kingston and for a constituency and for an area that for many years have been loyal. It speaks poorly to those who were at the steering wheel before.”

The houses, which are sited at 27 Fleet Street and 29 Barry Street, were handed over during a special on October 6. The units were constructed from reinforced concrete and comprise two bedrooms, living and dining rooms, kitchen, and a bathroom.

Four more houses are also under construction in the communities of Allman Town and Rae Town.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Honourable Floyd Green, who represented Prime Minister Andrew Holness, said the Government is tireless in its efforts to deliver on its promise of constructing 70,000 housing units.

“This Government appreciates that a home is essential if our Jamaican people are really going to embrace their prosperity, and our Prime Minister has set his sights on ensuring that our people across all social classes have access to owning a home.”

Member of Parliament for Central Kingston, Donovan Williams, said the construction of the homes will revitalise the area and encourage civic pride.

The NSHP is the housing component of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme.

It was developed to improve the housing conditions of the country’s poor and disadvantaged by providing quality affordable and sustainable housing. It is being implemented through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, in collaboration with the HOPE Unit.

 

Major Focus on the Homeless October 10

Posted on October 10, 2022

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will be commemorating World Homeless Day on October 10, with a slew of activities for the vulnerable population islandwide, through its Poor Relief Departments.

The international observance is commemorated annually on October 10 to raise awareness of the needs of persons experiencing homelessness locally, and provides opportunities for communities to get involved in responding to homelessness.

This year, World Homeless Day is being observed under the theme: ‘Changing the Lives of Persons Experiencing Homelessness Through Community Involvement and Career Development’.

In an interview with JIS News, Secretary of the Board of Supervision within the Ministry, Treka Lewis, shared details about the activities being hosted for the homeless across the island.

“What we’re doing this year is looking beyond the basics and trying to develop the potential that some homeless persons have. For example, this year we will be working closely with HEART/NSTA Trust to have literacy assessment for adult learners and to do certification for those who can be certified,” Ms. Lewis said.

This, she added, is being included in the usual grooming and feeding of the homeless, which is a frequent offering of the Poor Relief Departments.

Ms. Lewis said that activities planned for the day include components to uplift persons experiencing homelessness and encompass the theme of the day.

“We will be having a number of different activities for persons who are homeless. There will be a concert where they showcase their talent [in St. Elizabeth, Trelawny and St. Ann]. In Hanover, we will be having a display of the items that homeless persons would have made and those will be on sale on the day as well. In St. James we are having a sports day at Jarrett Park,” she noted.

“In Kingston, we are having career development activities and social intervention at the Desmond McKenzie Transitional Centre for the Homeless, and in St. Ann, we will be having a march from our drop-in centre to the town in Ocho Rios. We will be bringing awareness to the issue of homelessness and homeless persons will be a part of that march,” she said.

Ms. Lewis informed that in St. Thomas there will be medical screening and counselling; health checks and skills assessments in Portland; a sensitisation town walk in St. Mary; feeding and grooming in Westmoreland; dental and medical checks, vaccinations and counselling in Manchester; counselling and HIV testing in Clarendon; and public service provision from various government agencies and HIV/syphilis testing in several locations in St. Catherine.

These services are being offered in collaboration with government and non-governmental organisations, such as the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Registrar General’s Department, Electoral Office of Jamaica, Children First Agency and Lions Clubs, among others.

“Persons are welcome to assist, to volunteer their services, to come and fellowship or just interact with our service users and bring a little bit of light and joy on that day,” Ms. Lewis said.

She explained that the day’s activities aim to shed light on the programmes of the Poor Relief Departments, garner public support for the homeless community and remind the homeless that they matter and persons care about them.

A full list of all activities and locations can be found on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s website: www.localgovjamaica.gov.jm and social media pages.

Expenditure Approved for Market in Alexandria

Posted on October 3, 2022

 The expenditure to commence work on restoring the market in Alexandria,                     St. Ann, has been approved, says Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie.

Speaking today (September 30), at the launch of a joint programme aimed at strengthening Jamaica’s resilience to food and water insecurity, at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston, he pointed out that the market is in “very, very high” demand by the small community, where farmers can take their produce.

Additionally, the Minister noted that several other projects are to take place islandwide.

“We’re also going to be building a brand-new market in Negril in Westmoreland. Shortly, I’ll be breaking ground for the construction of a multipurpose market there. Extensive work will [also] be undertaken on the Savanna-la-Mar market. And when we go into Montego Bay, the Charles Gordon Market is slated to benefit from over $85 million in repairs,” the Minister outlined.

He said, further, that the Highgate Market, which was destroyed by fire earlier this year, will also be rebuilt.

The programme launched is being led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with funding largely by the European Union (EU), through the UN Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund.

Noting that Jamaica, like other nations, has had to deal with the issue of food insecurity, Mr. McKenzie said that “it is our markets that will ensure that the food gets to the population. And so, a companion of water and rural development is going to now be supplemented by work on improving and building new markets across the country”.

Moreover, the Cabinet has taken a multi-government approach to markets and a subcommittee has been established to look at a comprehensive market programme.

There are currently 37 markets across Jamaica, 70 per cent of which were built more than 100 years ago.

$500,000 Reward for Information Leading to Killers of Homeless Man – McKenzie

Posted on August 29, 2022September 5, 2022

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie has strongly condemned the murder of Lionel Johnson, who was set on fire in the area of Heroes Circle early this morning.

“This is an absolutely savage act.  While we still don’t know the motive for this heinous crime, the suffering that Mr. Johnson would have endured, as well as the taking of his life, reflects for me the lowest level of depravity. He was well known to the Kingston and St. Andrew Poor Relief Department, which regularly supported him by providing food, and at times he stayed at the Night Shelter at Church Street.

“I condemn this horrible act and I call on my fellow Jamaicans to do the same, as well as to provide the police with any available facts. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is also offering a reward of $500,000 for information that results in the arrest of the person or persons responsible. No civilized society can allow acts such as these to go unchallenged and unpunished.

“I also want to urge our brothers and sisters who make up the homeless population to use the Night Shelters regularly not only for food and hygiene, but also for safety. While I know that some of them are inclined to spend the night on the streets, I am appealing to them to stay at these facilities which are built for them, and where they are assured of protection. I have also asked the Local Authorities to appeal directly to them in this regard, through their daily interactions.”

MAJOR CLEAN-UP EXERCISE ALONG DYKE ROAD

Posted on August 12, 2022

A major clean-up exercise has begun along the Dyke Road in St. Catherine as part of the national ‘Clean Jamaica’ campaign being implemented by the Government of Jamaica.

The exercise, which commenced on Thursday (August 11), is expected to last for one week and will see the removal of overgrown vegetation in the area. The work will focus on both sides of the road from the Ackee Village up to the train line.

“This area is what is deemed the critical area of the Dyke Road that needs immediate response and that is what we are offering right now,” said Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, who observed the exercise.

He informed that the clean-up is in response to a request from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) regarding the condition of the area, which, in recent times, has been used as a hideout for criminals and where illegal weapons have been discovered.

“The work is being coordinated by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), working closely with the Member of Parliament and Counsellor for the area and getting the support from the security forces,” said Minister McKenzie.

Meanwhile, he noted that the national clean-up campaign, which began prior to the Independence celebrations, will continue.

“This programme will go on. We will take the programme right across other parts of the country, but we want to focus today on the urgency and the need to have this area clean,” he added.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for information, Hon. Robert Morgan, empahasised the national significance of the clean-up exercise along the Dyke Road.

“Thousands of cars all across the island and Jamaicans commute through this area. Even though it is important for St. Catherine, it’s a major artery into Kingston.

“That’s one of the primary focuses of the national clean-up campaign – looking at areas that impact Jamaicans in general and also communities in particular,” said Minister Morgan.

Member of Parliament for St. Catherine East Central and State Minister for Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, thanked the various stakeholders involved, noting that the clean-up “is a big win for the people of Gregory Park and East Central St. Catherine”.

Rural Water Supply Ltd. to expand minor water systems

Posted on August 10, 2022

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is committed to the implementation of projects and programmes to expand minor water supply across Jamaica.

This expansion is in keeping with the National Water Sector Policy and Implementation Plan and is being spearheaded by the Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) which was added to the Local Government portfolio in the last quarter of 2020.

“We will improve lives, sustain livelihoods and revive communities by providing modern and reliable minor water supply systems,” says Portfolio Minister, Honourable Desmond McKenzie.

“I commend the Rural Water Supply Limited for a job well done. There is more hard work ahead and the Government is determined to dramatically improve public access to piped, potable water.”

According to an assessment done in 2019, piped water supply systems reach 70% of Jamaicans. Additionally, 27% of people who access water from standpipes in rural areas, must walk more than 500 metres to get the commodity.

“This is the challenge that we are determined to overcome,” Minister McKenzie underscored.

During the 2021/2022 financial year, the RWSL completed a range of major projects which connected more Jamaicans to piped potable water within their communities. These include Penn and Lucky Valley in St Catherine; Brandon Hill and Salt River in Clarendon; Portland Cottage and Rocky Point in Clarendon; Bangor Ridge in Portland; Coral Gardens, Flower Hill, Torado Heights and Stonehenge in St James.

The flagship project completed was the Top Aberdeen Water Supply system in St. Elizabeth. The facility was officially commissioned into service in February, and more than 1,600 residents are benefiting from reliable water supply.

The works included the construction of a new pumping station and storage tank; the installation of a solar pumping system, and new distribution and transmission pipelines, at a cost of J$111 million.

The agency also installed catchment tanks and rainwater harvesting facilities at over 30 schools, institutions, and communities around the country. These included Springfield and Quickstep in St. Elizabeth; Jeffrey Town and Carron Hall in St. Mary; Bensonton, St. Ann; Harrywatch in Manchester, Greater Portmore and Troja in St. Catherine; Content in Westmoreland, and Smithville in Clarendon.

The rainwater harvesting projects benefit over 40,000 residents in their communities.

Local Gov’t Minister deplores spate of crashes

Posted on August 10, 2022

RUNAWAY BAY, St. Ann (JIS News): The spate of crashes on the nation’s roads has become extremely unpalatable and is fast escalating into a national crisis, says Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie.

 

Minister McKenzie, who was speaking at a disaster preparedness town hall meeting in Runaway Bay, St Ann on July 28, said the Government is very perturbed by the level of recklessness involved in many of the crashes, the wanton loss of lives and the effects these have been having on grieving families.

 

The Minister said the time is now ripe for a fully-fledged public education campaign on road usage and urged residents to utilise the power of social media to both highlight and promote ways to prevent the carnage taking place on roads across the island.

 

“We are paying a severe price for this level of indiscipline that has taken over our roads. We are losing lives… mostly young men… and I am [deeply] concerned,” he said.

 

“The same way in which we use social media and other forms of information to be critical and raise concerns about [many other] issues, let us start a campaign in this country about the carnage on our roads and what we as Jamaicans can do and are prepared to do.”

 

The Minister also called on public transport operators to be more responsible in doing their part to reduce the frequency of road accidents and to protect both the country and the travelling public.

 

He noted that members of the public also have the power to take a stance against travelling in vehicles that have shown a blatant disregard for road safety, arguing that if they refuse to take these buses and taxis, that will send a strong message to the operators.

 

Minister McKenzie’s address came after the recent spate of crashes, including a July 24 incident where a two-bus collision on the Llandovery, St. Ann main road resulted in the death of two persons.

Four days later, the number of fatalities had moved to four with approximately 18 persons remaining hospitalised.

 

“What is really sad is that this is a man-made disaster, which is affecting the country. The carnage on the roads is also resulting in the country losing much-needed revenue,” he said.

 

“The law alone can’t help. When I listen to the number of persons in the hospitals, where surgeries must be put on hold, that is a cost to the country, loss of revenue, and loss of production. We are going to be taking this message right across the country.”

Renovation of Highgate Market to be done on phased basis

Posted on July 27, 2022July 28, 2022

HIGHGATE, St. Mary (JIS NEWS): Renovation of the fire-damaged Highgate Market in St. Mary will be done on a phased basis, starting with a cleaning of the structure and the setting up of a temporary facility to accommodate affected vendors.

Addressing vendors and political representatives at the market on July 21, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, said discussions are also taking place to assist the affected vendors.

“We are going to do much better in the reconstruction for the market, and once the cleaning is done, we will have a greater appreciation of how many of you can come back in,” the Minister said.

He also told the vendors that dialogue will take place with Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Richard Creary; Member of Parliament for St. Mary Central, Dr. Morais Guy, and the Councillor for the area, to agree on the design for the new facility.

“Once we have agreement on the design, the market will be reconstructed, but it is going to take some time,” Mr. McKenzie said.

He pointed out that the Social Development Commission (SDC) will be doing a survey on the use of the facility, to determine the level of support to be provided.

The Minister said that once the market is cleaned of debris, the authorities will be in a better position to carry out the “real assessment of what is required”.

A team from the St. Mary Municipal Corporation will decide on the number of persons to occupy the temporary market.

ODPEM embarks on disaster preparedness town hall meetings

Posted on July 20, 2022

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has embarked on a series of town hall meetings focused on preparedness, mitigation, and response in emergencies.

The ODPEM- an agency of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development- began its series on July 7 with stops in Rocky Point, Clarendon, and Whitehouse in Westmoreland.

The town hall meetings will continue in Port Maria, St. Mary on July 21, and then on July 28 Runaway Bay, St. Ann.

Portfolio Minister, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, used his presentation on July 14 in Westmoreland to caution residents against ignoring pleas by the local authorities to evacuate their homes when threatened by a natural disaster.

“We are begging you to heed the evacuation warnings and to follow the bulletins closely,” said the Minister, noting that there is a tendency in many flood-prone communities for persons to want “wait and see”.

He added: “We don’t want you to be faced with a situation where it’s too late. We will provide the shelters and other assistance…When they say evacuate… I am begging you to do so.”

Minister McKenzie also maintained that the Government is concerned about the frequency of road accidents throughout the parish of Westmoreland, to the point where the situation has been included in its disaster-preparedness plans.

“We consider the spate of accidents on our roads a disaster, and we have incorporated that in our disaster response programme right across the country,” he explained.

“I would like to urge those persons who use the motorcycle to get involved in the various programmes being undertaken by the Government.”

The Road Safety Unit has been hosting various workshops and safety gear has been made available to motorcycle users, among other initiatives.

Deputy Superintendent of Police attached to the Westmoreland Division, Adrian Hamilton, said the frequency of accidents in the parish is a major cause of worry for the lawmen.

“There have been 27 traffic fatalities in the parish, so far, this year, with 12 motorcyclists among those killed. We are still seeing risky behaviour, such as the removal of motorcycle mirrors and brazen disregard for the rules of the road,” he stated. “When we embark on traffic-enforcement initiatives, the main objective is to modify behaviour.”

On average, over 450 tickets within Westmoreland are issued weekly, a significant percentage of which is for motorcycle drivers who do not wear protective helmets.

Improved Water Supply for Westmoreland

Posted on July 19, 2022

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, says residents of Westmoreland are to receive improved access to water supply in coming months.

“Rural Water (Supply Limited) which falls under the Ministry of Local Government will commence in September, the rehabilitation and the upgrading of the water supply and storage system in Ashton,” he announced during a Disaster Preparedness Town Hall Meeting in Whitehouse, Westmoreland on July 14.

“This is a catchment tank in the community, and it is expected that over 600 persons within that community will benefit from this upgrading of the water system at a cost of J$10 million.”

The works in Ashton, Eastern Westmoreland is expected to be completed in November.

He also pointed to other projects aimed at improving water supplies. The Minister explained that while the Government works to increase access to water; plan are in place to truck water to various communities.

In Moreland Hill located in Western Westmoreland, water tanks will be installed in the community while the Ministry explores a major project, working with the Rural Water Supply Limited and the National Water Commission to establish a sustained supply of the commodity to the area.

“It is going to take some time but on a short-term basis, we are going to be installing in Moreland Hill, 10 water tanks that will carry 2,000 gallons of water to that community until we have completed the major work that is required,” added Minister McKenzie.

The Ministry of Local Government’s work to improve water supply in Westmoreland is ongoing as a J$4.6m water harvesting system was recently at the Bath Mountain Primary School, which also serves the surrounding community.

The Content and Little Bay Primary Schools have also benefitted from water system improvements to benefit their respective communities, at a cost of J$10m.

Meanwhile, the Ministry will be working closely with the National Works Agency to improve road conditions in Westmoreland. Minister McKenzie stated that rehabilitation work will also be undertaken on several parochial roads in the parish at a cost of J$120 million.