NHT ‘almost used as a goodie bag’ by PMs, says trade unionist

Veteran trade unionist John Levy has poured cold water on Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ announcement of a reduction in housing interest rates for some civil servants, arguing that the National Housing Trust (NHT) is being misused.

Levy, general secretary of the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE), told The Gleaner yesterday that successive administrations have “tinkered” with the Trust in ways that satisfy only a limited group of the population.

“The NHT has been used by governments over these years as a tool to satisfy a segment of the marketplace who they, maybe, figure, at a particular moment, they need to do something for. I am not fond of those kinds of set ups. Merit is what should determine how people receive benefits,” said Levy.

Holness, who was making his contribution to the 2026-2027 Budget Debate in the House of Representative earlier in the evening, said while his administration works to increase housing supply, it is also working to ensure that houses built are accessible to Jamaicans who need them most.

He said that effective July 1, 2026, teachers, nurses, firefighters, and members of the security and defence forces would benefit from a special reduced mortgage interest rate based on their length of service.

“For those with five to 10 years of service, the applicable interest rate will be reduced by one per cent, and for those with service of 10 years or more, the rate will be reduced by two per cent,” said Holness.

He said for young Jamaicans under 35, the NHT will reserve a minimum of 20 per cent of scheme units – double the previous allocation of 10 per cent – and will provide an advance of up to $2 million to assist with deposit requirements for open market purchases.

Further, he said effective July 1, the Home Improvement Loan waiting period would be reduced from seven to five years, “giving existing homeowners faster access to funds for maintenance, security, green energy upgrades, and expansion”.

Holness also announced that in commemoration of its 50th anniversary, the NHT would break ground on new state parks in Manchester and in the Kingston and St Andrew Metropolitan Area.

HAUL AND PULL

However, Levy described the move as the “haul and pulling” of the Trust, which is funded by mandatory monthly contributions from employers, employees, and self-employed individuals.

“NHT has been haul and pulled over the years, and it seems that there is no end in sight. With all its issues, governments continue to haul and pull it. It is almost used as a goodie bag by prime ministers who keep it under their portfolio,” Levy said.

“I’m not fond of that kind of setup. I believe in merit not necessarily years of service or under a certain age group. There might be people who are above or outside of the range that they are talking about that maybe genuinely deserve the benefit more than somebody they have designated by virtue of this years of service,” he said.

He said the NHT should be used to fund more development projects, where infrastructure is put in and beneficiaries build at their pace.

“That has been absent for quite some time. I’m not seeing much of that,” said Levy.

Yesterday, Holness disclosed that the NHT is managing a housing portfolio of more than 41,000 solutions at various stages of development across the island.

He said approximately 10,700 units are currently under construction, nearly 6,000 are at contract award stage, over 11,500 are in procurement and negotiations, and more than 11,600 in the planning and design phase.

“We need to see service lots where you put in road and infrastructure and allow people to purchase these lots and to launch out. I want to see more of that. I think we have gotten enough of the apartments. I know land is always an issue but there is still quite a bit of land around,” said Levy.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com