PM Urges Storm-Proof Standards as $9 Billion Rozelle Estate Breaks Ground in St Thomas

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has urged the developer of a major new housing scheme in St Thomas to build homes that can withstand Category 5 hurricanes — a pointed call that underscores how deeply the wounds of Hurricane Melissa continue to shape Jamaica’s housing agenda six months on.

Holness issued the charge at the ground-breaking ceremony for the $9 billion Rozelle Estate project, a collaboration between New Rozelle Properties and the National Housing Trust (NHT) that will see more than 800 houses constructed in St Thomas. The scheme is financed under a guaranteed purchase programme through the NHT, which will buy the majority of units at an agreed price — giving the developer financial certainty from the outset and ensuring Government has direct control over how solutions are allocated to Jamaicans in need.

Building to Withstand the Next Storm

With the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season approaching, and many families still displaced or recovering from Melissa’s destruction, Holness emphasised that the threshold for acceptable construction standards must rise. He pointed to the performance of well-built hip and timber roofs during the storm, noting that well-constructed homes largely survived where others did not.

“Yes, you might get a threshold minimum for your design, but improve on it to make sure that, even if you are hit by a Category 5 hurricane, the person who owns the home will just come up and sweep away the leaves and fallen trees and they are fine,” Holness urged the developer.

The prime minister’s comments reflect a wider shift in how Jamaica approaches housing construction in the post-Melissa period. Building codes, materials specifications, and developer accountability are all under renewed scrutiny as the government looks to avoid a repeat of the widespread structural failures that left thousands homeless.

St Thomas: A Parish on the Rise

The Rozelle Estate ground-breaking also signals St Thomas’s growing importance as a housing development corridor. Holness noted that the parish is poised to benefit significantly from the government’s expanded housing thrust, driven by its proximity to the Kingston Metropolitan Area, improved road infrastructure, available land, and upgraded water supply.

The local Member of Parliament for St Thomas Western, James Robertson, has expressed ambitions for 5,000 new houses to be built in the parish within the next three years — a figure Holness suggested could increase further as development momentum builds along the eastern corridor.

The Rozelle Estate itself will be developed under a National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) framework — the agency established in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa to coordinate large-scale rebuilding and ensure future developments incorporate climate resilience from the ground up.

NHT Guaranteed Purchase: A Model Worth Watching

The NHT’s guaranteed purchase model, under which the trust commits to buying units before construction is complete, has been cited by Holness as a key mechanism for unlocking private investment in housing — particularly in parishes outside the traditional Kingston-St Catherine growth corridor. By removing the market risk for developers, the programme incentivises construction in areas where demand is real but untested, while also allowing the NHT to direct units toward lower- and middle-income Jamaicans who might otherwise be priced out of new developments.

“We are planting homes, communities, but we are creating opportunities that will bear fruits for your families and their future in Jamaica,” Holness said at the ceremony. “Most important, we are giving housing with dignity. Every Jamaican wants a piece of the Rock.”

For property watchers, Rozelle Estate is a project to monitor closely. St Thomas has historically been undervalued relative to neighbouring Kingston and St Andrew, but improving infrastructure and increasing government investment are beginning to shift that calculation. The parish’s potential as an affordable alternative to the capital — with sea views, proximity to amenities, and new stock — is becoming harder to overlook.

Source: Jamaica Observer, May 9, 2026

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