KINGSTON, Jamaica — Three Jamaicans stand beneath a signpost, staring at a collection of questions that should concern anyone buying, building or investing in property.
Land use? Roads? Water? Electricity? Schools? Healthcare? Green spaces?
And towering above them is the message: Master Planning, Not Just Master Bedrooms!
It’s a funny picture, but the message is serious. Jamaica has become remarkably good at celebrating new housing developments. We announce hundreds of homes, admire architectural impressions, applaud ribbon-cutting ceremonies and marvel at the increasingly ambitious asking prices.
But somewhere between the grand entrance gate and the granite kitchen countertop, we sometimes forget a rather important detail: people must actually live in these communities.
A beautiful three-bedroom house is wonderful. But what happens when the nearest school is miles away, the road floods after heavy rain, the water supply is unreliable and the journey to work consumes three hours of the day?
You haven’t necessarily bought a dream home. You may have purchased an expensive daily struggle with a nice bathroom.
Who Are We Really Building Jamaica For?
In a November 1, 2026 interview with the Jamaica Observer, Jamaica Homes founder Dean Jones raised uncomfortable questions about housing affordability, development priorities and the future of homeownership on the island.
His central argument was straightforward: Jamaica needs to think beyond individual buildings and plan entire communities.
Housing developments should consider employment opportunities, transport connections, infrastructure, schools and essential services from the beginning, rather than treating these as problems to be addressed after residents move in.
The issue extends beyond affordability. A house may be within someone’s purchasing budget but become financially and physically exhausting to maintain when transportation, utilities, security and other living expenses are considered.
And while overseas investment and returning Jamaicans contribute significantly to the property market, development must also serve the teachers, nurses, police officers, tradespeople and young families earning Jamaican salaries.
A Country Needs More Than Bedrooms
The three puzzled faces in today’s cartoon represent the ordinary Jamaicans who are increasingly being asked to make extraordinary financial commitments.
They are not simply choosing a house. They are choosing a future.
And that future depends on decisions made long before the first concrete block is laid.
Proper master planning means connecting housing policy with transportation, utilities, environmental protection, employment and community facilities. It means creating places where children can grow, families can thrive and residents can afford to remain.
Because a development is not truly successful merely because every unit has been sold.
The real measure of success is whether the people who buy those homes can build a decent life around them.
Jamaica doesn’t just need more master bedrooms. It needs a master plan for the generations who will sleep in them.
And perhaps that’s the biggest joke in today’s cartoon: everyone is looking for directions, but we’re still asking who is holding the map.
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