Homelessness to hope - St Mary woman’s journey from tarpaulin to new house

After losing her house to fire and facing unimaginable personal tragedies, St Mary resident Judith Watson is seeing brighter days having received her 'dream home' under the Government's New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Prime Minister Andrew Holness last Wednesday handed over a brand new three-bedroom unit, which will allow Watson to provide a stable and secure shelter for herself, children and grandchildren.

Watson lost her spouse, who did not return after going out to sea, and one of her daughters to a brain tumour. Following the fire that destroyed her home, she was living under a structure covered only by tarpaulin.

"Today, I am in my dream home. I am, indeed, grateful [as] I couldn't afford to build [this] house," she said.

Holness in his remarks, outlined the significance of the NSHP in bringing hope to Jamaicans in situations like Watson's.

"There is now an enduring programme supported by a budget that will, over the long run, ensure that any Jamaican who falls in this situation of having no means, no income, is the victim of unfortunate circumstances ... the Government can intervene and assist you. That speaks to the core of the Government, that whatever we do we must ensure that the poor and the most vulnerable are never left behind," Holness said.

The prime minister noted that an estimated 6,000 households in Jamaica are in this kind of circumstance.

To date, the NSHP has built 258 units in which approximately 900 Jamaicans are housed.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Arlene Williams, was filled with emotion as Watson told her story.

"There is not a dry eye when I look around here today, having listened to Ms Watson's story. These are the persons that we target - the most vulnerable persons - as we lift them out of poverty. We bring hope to them," Williams said.