Just for seniors
Charles bats for housing developments designed for sale to elderly buyers
Published:Thursday | September 5, 2024 | 7:27 PMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
In an effort to create more wealth and have it remain in Jamaica, Pearnel Charles Jr, minister of labour and social security, is calling for more housing developers to create concepts to be sold only to senior citizens.
It is a concept that is culturally ingrained in many First World countries, where buildings and streets are sold only to persons in retirement, and it is a concept the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP) has been pushing through its founders, Jean Lowrie-Chin and Hubert Chin, who are themselves developers of a real estate property called Phoenix Central.
Charles made his call during yesterday’s launch of Senior Citizens Month 2024 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
He said he believed that there are Jamaican senior citizens with the money to make such purchases, though not many financial institutions, or the National Housing Trust, would be open to offering them a mortgage.
“These are some of the things we will have to consider in terms of even encouraging our developers, our investors, to be deeply aware of this rapid growth and utilise it as a means of them being able to project opportunities, to create that environment, as our senior citizens not only can be productive, but many of them have a better ability to make the purchase than some who are under 30. That’s one of the reasons they also do better in business because they have more stability in terms of their financial capacity. When you couple that with the experience, you’re looking on a much better opportunity for success for any business,” Charles said.
“A lot of seniors go to Florida. You will hear persons leaving New York, and they head down to Florida because it’s more comfortable. They don’t have to worry about shovelling the snow. They don’t have to worry about the cold temperature. Everything is easy, and they have facilitated it by creating almost a state that is known to put together an environment where it’s not seen as unusual. You have some developments in Florida where every resident there has to be over 60. You cannot live there as a homeowner if you’re not retired, and they create all of the facilities for seniors,” he said.
‘Place of choice for our seniors’
Charles also noted that as the Government, policies will have to be put in place on their part for senior citizens to be and feel more empowered.
“Our policies must be structured so that we facilitate you being your productive self and you enjoying your time. Achieving the goal of making Jamaica, what we say is the place of choice for work, business and families includes making Jamaica the place of choice for our seniors,” Charles said.
“The Government is committed to ensuring that through our chairperson and board and others, we work to engage and create an environment that will allow for our senior citizens to live and participate in a society that respects them, that values them, that guarantees their rights, that ensures that we promote their responsibilities and that we facilitate enjoyment of a life that is fulfilling, healthy, and secure.”
He said the Government is committed to ensuring that senior citizens have continuous access to health services through the National Health Fund, the National Insurance Scheme, and the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).
With his father, former House Speaker Pearnel Charles Sr, turning 88 three days ago, he noted how blessed the nation is to have active senior citizens still contributing.
“We can’t tie him down. He’s not tired. I tell you, in listening to him in his conversation to his family, I was watching him, listening to him and saying, we’re really blessed. He, right after singing happy birthday, was very proud to say to us, in his remarks, [that we must] remember at our dining table, he’s still the Speaker of the House. He started his second round of deliberation by saying, ‘In my 89th year of life’ . The man just turn 88, but it goes to show you how much he values the time, how grateful he is for every single year, and how proud he is of his age,” the younger Charles said.
“You do not regret growing older because it is a privilege that many will never get the opportunity to share. When I listen to the analysis and the conversations, we really need to highlight more of the positive in terms of what our seniors are already doing, what our seniors can contribute, and for those of us who are younger, looking on towards retirement, how are we preparing for that moment in time, if it is that we are blessed to reach there?” he said.