Montego Bay, St James, 23 June 2026
Jamaicans living overseas are being invited to put their money and ideas to work in the island’s housing sector, with the National Housing Trust (NHT) using last week’s diaspora gathering in Montego Bay to pitch a range of building partnerships.
The appeal was made at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, which ran from 14 to 18 June at the conference centre in the St James resort city. The event focused on how the diaspora can help rebuild a more resilient Jamaica.
No building background needed
Dwayne Berbick, the NHT’s Assistant General Manager for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, told delegates that the Trust has put together construction partnerships that can be entered at different stages of a development. Those opportunities, he said, are open to established developers, to people who simply have a promising concept, and to those able to provide finance.
Crucially for many overseas Jamaicans, prior experience in construction or property development is not a requirement. Mr Berbick described the offer as “a wide umbrella of opportunities” for anyone wishing to take part.
Land already in hand
One of the Trust’s main selling points is that it already holds land on which projects can be carried out, removing one of the biggest early hurdles for would-be investors. A dedicated breakout session at the conference walked participants through the legal issues involved, the financing routes available and the practical steps needed to get an investment under way.
The NHT is looking at these partnerships as a long-term strategy, projecting opportunities stretching over the next 50 years with the aim of lifting the number of housing starts for Jamaicans.
What it means for buyers and investors
For members of the diaspora who have long wanted a stake in property back home but felt shut out by a lack of land, contacts or technical know-how, the Trust’s approach offers a more structured entry point. Pooling overseas capital with state-held land could, over time, increase the supply of homes coming to market.
For local house hunters, more housing starts would be a welcome development in a market where demand continues to outstrip supply. Anyone considering taking part should seek independent legal and financial advice and deal directly with the NHT through its official channels before committing funds.
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