Housing Agency of Jamaica to Begin Over 2,100 Housing Starts in 2026/2027

The Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) has set an ambitious target for the 2026/2027 financial year, with plans to commence construction on 2,134 housing starts and deliver 674 solutions to market. The announcement is contained in the Public Bodies Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure tabled in the House of Representatives by Finance and the Public Service Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams.

The scale of the programme represents one of the most significant annual housing construction commitments by the State agency in recent years, spanning multiple parishes and targeting a mix of income brackets.

Where the Homes Will Be Built

According to the estimates document, the 2,134 housing starts will be distributed as follows: 1,542 units in St. James, 310 units in St. Catherine, 210 units in Trelawny, and 72 units in St. Andrew. The concentration in St. James reflects the continued development pressure on Jamaica’s second city, Montego Bay, and its surrounding communities.

Of the 674 solutions scheduled for delivery during the financial year, the breakdown by parish is as follows: 394 units to be completed in St. Catherine, 180 units in St. James, and 100 in St. Elizabeth. St. Catherine’s dominant share reflects the ongoing development corridor running through Portmore, Old Harbour, and surrounding areas — long regarded as the island’s most active residential growth zone outside of Kingston and St. Andrew.

Land Titles and Informal Settlements

Beyond new construction, the HAJ has also outlined plans to improve access to homeownership and to regularise informal settlements for lower-income households. The agency aims to hand over 250 land titles during 2026/27 — a critical step for thousands of Jamaican families currently living on land they occupy but do not legally own.

Land titling has long been identified as one of the central barriers to wealth creation in Jamaica, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities. Without a title, homeowners cannot access mortgage financing, cannot easily transfer property to heirs, and remain vulnerable to disputes and displacement. The HAJ’s commitment to 250 title handovers this year represents a meaningful, if modest, step toward resolving a problem that affects an estimated hundreds of thousands of Jamaican households.

Context: Jamaica’s Persistent Housing Deficit

Jamaica continues to face a significant housing shortfall, driven by population growth, urban migration, and decades of underinvestment in public housing. The National Housing Trust (NHT) and HAJ together represent the government’s primary vehicles for addressing this deficit, operating alongside private developers whose schemes increasingly cater to middle and upper-income buyers.

Private sector activity has remained robust, with new gated communities and apartment complexes continuing to come to market in Kingston, St. Catherine, and the resort parishes. However, the lower end of the market — where need is greatest — has historically been underserved, making the HAJ’s programme particularly significant for working-class Jamaican families.

The 2026/2027 housing programme also comes on the heels of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact in late 2025, which destroyed or damaged thousands of homes across the island. Rebuilding pressure has added urgency to the government’s housing agenda, with several new schemes specifically positioned to address post-storm displacement in affected communities.

For prospective buyers tracking government housing schemes, the HAJ’s upcoming projects — particularly in St. James and St. Catherine — are worth monitoring closely. Applications for HAJ developments typically open on the agency’s website, and demand for government-assisted units consistently exceeds supply.

Source: Jamaica Information Service, February 2026

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