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BESSIE BAKER, Hanover - Prime Minister Andrew Holness has doubled to 1,000 the number of houses he wants built each year and provide free of cost to the society's most needy. This year 315 units are to be built, a number which he said only scratches the surface of the demand. The units, he promised, will be completed quickly and will be of good quality.Speaking during a ceremony to hand over one of the houses in Hanover last week, the prime minister said there is a little more allocation in the budget this year to facilitate the initiative, coupled with the availability of what he described as a good set of contractors who know the system and can produce more units in a shorter period. At present, it takes approximately three months to construct a three-bedroom concrete house."Our objective is to be able to do somewhere in the region of about 1,000 social housing units per year. I think we can do that. I think that is well within our reach," said Holness, who noted that the current projection is up from the 500 he mentioned some time ago.He vouched for the quality of the houses, which he said - because of the Jamaican way of thinking - may be called into question because of the speed of construction."We believe that if it didn't take long, it wasn't done correctly, not realising that the world has moved on to doing business at the speed of thought. You think about it and you get it done," Holness said.He explained that each Member of Parliament (MPs) is allotted five houses for distribution. Upon the recommendation of an MP, each case is reviewed by a non-political beneficiary identification committee. In addition, an investigation is done to ensure that the land to be used for the construction of the house either belongs to the beneficiary or permission is given for its use.The prime minister made it clear that there is no room for corruption in the social housing initiative. Past attempts to provide housing, by various administrations over the years, have been mired in controversy."We make sure that this programme is properly run, that there is no way that anyone can say there is any corruption in it. Because what the corruption would do - and it would pain my heart - is to take away the opportunity for someone to sleep without rain wetting them; for someone to have their children study at night in decent circumstances without having to go outside. It would take away the opportunity of a household living together in dignity. So, we ensure that this programme is properly run and there can be no questions asked about it," assured Holness.The programme is the Government's response to the need for affordable housing for people who are earning minimum wage or less. It is being facilitated by the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) project through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.Holness said his Government will be constructing houses of various price ranges: $8 million, $14 million and $20 million. In addition there will be $2 million, $6 million houses on land owned by individuals without infrastructure on it. However, he said there is a need for the Government to produce more housing that people can afford, in addition to meeting the needs of those who have no hope of being a property owners."There are those who would just simply not be able to afford a home, period. They might be working but their income is taken up with sending their children to school and, just because of buying food, the cost of living has gone up because food prices and energy prices have gone up. So, people don't have that residual income that could be put aside for mortgage or a downpayment," said Holness."We understand that but it doesn't mean that we should leave people in a deplorable state of habitation," he added, referencing the ruins of a board house that a family of six adults and their children lived in.The family was provided with a three-bedroom concrete house in Bessie Baker, Mount Peto in Hanover free of cost under the Government's social housing programme.The prime minister noted that while the house is without cost to the family it is not free, as taxpayers paid for it. Holness pointed out that it is not possible to provide a free house for all those in need and, as a result, each case is evaluated and the worst cases selected.House recipient Karen Campbell, who said she has been unable to find a job, told the Jamaica Observer her former house in Bessie Baker had been plagued by leaks and had been falling apart."I feel nice to have this house that the prime minister gave to me," she said.After she sought help from Hanover Eastern MP (Jamaica Labour Party) Dave Brown in 2015, construction began in November 2021 and work was completed in February.Campbell's sister, Clova, said while it took six years for the promise to come to fruition, the family never gave up hope."Thanks to them all, and may God continue to bless them so that they can give to others," she said.Brown said the family had been in dire need of assistance."During my campaign in 2015 I met the family and, as you can see, it is a lot of them living in that house. I decided that I would have given a house to them and I am so happy I did," he said.It is one of four houses being constructed for the needy in the constituency. Brown said three of the houses - one in Copse, and two in Hopewell - are close to completion. He said he has five houses for distribution this year and he is currently assessing the situation of people in need so that a recommendation can be made to the beneficiary identification committee.