Montego Bay, St James, 21 June 2026
The National Housing Trust used last week’s 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay to court developers and investors, pitching a menu of partnership arrangements it hopes will add to the island’s housing stock and produce communities better able to withstand extreme weather.
The five-day gathering, held from 14 to 18 June at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, was framed around rebuilding a climate-resilient Jamaica, a theme given fresh urgency by the damage left behind by Hurricane Melissa.
Looking for builders with viable projects
Ali-Maa Thompson, a manager in the Trust’s Construction and Development Division, said the NHT’s main goal at the event was to find developers able to carry out sustainable, commercially sound housing schemes, whether on land the Trust already owns or through other joint arrangements.
She described the conference as a chance to meet prospective partners face to face and to explain the tools the Trust is now relying on to push up the number of homes available across the island.
Three routes into partnership
Michael Taylor, Assistant General Manager for Project Management in the same division, outlined the main options on offer. Developers who already hold land and resources can enter joint ventures with the Trust. Under the Guaranteed Purchase Programme, private builders put up housing solutions that the NHT then buys from them. The Trust also releases its own lands to developers, on condition that they meet minimum standards for sustainability and resilience.
Mr Taylor added that Jamaicans overseas could bring more than capital, pointing to new technologies, fresh ideas and proven practices that might help deliver sturdier homes at lower cost. He said the outreach sits within a broader NHT strategy of working closely with the private sector to widen access to homeownership and strengthen communities.
What it means for home seekers
For contributors waiting on an affordable home, the Trust’s growing reliance on private partners matters. Each joint venture or guaranteed purchase deal is, in effect, another pipeline of units that could eventually be offered to NHT borrowers. The insistence on resilience standards also signals that new stock is expected to be built with storms like Melissa in mind.
For diaspora investors, the message from Montego Bay was that the door is open to more than buying a single house. Those with land, finance or construction know-how are being invited to help build at scale, with the NHT as a partner rather than simply a lender.
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