Caenwood, Portland, 8 July 2026
The New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) is being redirected to help rebuild the parishes worst hit by Hurricane Melissa, with its teams now tasked with preparing the ground for imported modular, semi-permanent homes, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has said.
He outlined the shift on 3 July in Caenwood, Portland, where a new two-bedroom NSHP house was handed over to Recardo Gibson, who will live there with his wife and son.
Concrete bases before the houses
The modular units were purchased in China and shipped to Jamaica, but they cannot simply be set down on bare soil. According to the Prime Minister, each one needs a concrete platform, and building those platforms will now fall to the NSHP.
The programme’s attention will turn to St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, together with sections of St Ann and Manchester, which suffered especially heavy damage. The National Housing Trust and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management will support the rollout.
Dr Holness said that once some 2,000 of the units are in place, the Government intends to monitor them closely to learn how well they cope with local conditions and how long they are likely to last.
A family moves in
Mr Gibson was put forward for the programme by Daryl Vaz, Member of Parliament for Portland Western, after his earlier living conditions came to the MP’s attention. The Caenwood house is the fourth NSHP unit delivered in that constituency.
The Prime Minister suggested the new home could raise expectations across the district, saying neighbours planning to build may now want houses that are “to be as strong as this”.
Up to 3 July, the NSHP had completed 341 housing units containing 901 rooms, benefiting 1,652 people in 57 constituencies.
What it means for households
For families in western and south-western parishes still without secure shelter after the hurricane, the change means a programme known for permanent social housing will now play a direct part in getting temporary homes onto prepared sites. The planned monitoring of the modular units should also give homeowners, builders and policymakers clearer evidence on whether this type of structure can serve as a longer-term option in Jamaica’s climate.
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