Advocacy Group Calls For Sustainable Development of Communities

With just weeks to go before Jamaica’s September 3 General Election, the advocacy group Citizens’ Rights to the City, CRC, is calling on political leaders to present clear plans for the future of Kingston and communities across the island.

CRC is a network of over 25 citizens’ associations and individual residents, primarily from the Kingston Metropolitan Area.

The organisation has written an open letter to Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Holness, Opposition Leader, Mark Golding, and all contesting parties.

In it, the group urged leaders to move beyond campaign promises and commit to people-centred, sustainable development.

The CRC outlined a series of what it says are urgent priorities, including affordable housing, climate resilience, disaster risk management, and protection for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and persons with disabilities.

It also called for greater citizen participation in urban planning, arguing that residents are often excluded from decision-making about resources and development in their own communities.

CRC criticised what it described as unchecked construction, planning breaches, and neglect of existing communities.

It pointed to poor road conditions, failing drainage systems, limited green spaces, and inadequate public transportation.

The group further pressed for action to close the gap between housing demand and affordability, ensure reliable water infrastructure, and improve waste management.

CRC says it looks forward to tangible commitments from party leaders as Jamaicans prepare to head to the polls.