Storm-proof homes

With the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season fast approaching, and the wounds inflicted by Category 5 storm Melissa six months ago still raw, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness on Friday urged the developer of a new housing scheme in St Thomas to ensure that the structures to be built can withstand major weather events.

Holness issued the charge at the ground-breaking ceremony for the $9-billion Rozelle Estate project which will see more than 800 houses built under a collaboration between Rozelle Properties and the National Housing Trust (NHT).

“The caveat is that, whatever we build here must be built with resilience in mind. I say to Rozelle Properties, wind that is coming off [the sea] and cooling the area can become very violent in a hurricane, so you must design for that, and that is the area of focus of the Government — resilience. I implore you, that as you build this lovely housing scheme it must be able to withstand a Category 5 [hurricane],” Holness said.

The Administration’s focus on resilience was heightened after Hurricane Melissa, regarded as one of the most powerful storms ever, inflicted extensive damage to south-western and north-western sections of Jamaica on October 28, 2025.

Although significant advances have been made in restoration, many Jamaicans have still not fully recovered from the disaster with the next hurricane season due to start June 1.

In his address on Friday, Holness made reference to Melissa’s rampage, but pointed out that some structures withstood the hurricane’s fury.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (left) makes a point to (from second left) Linval Freeman, National Housing Trust (NHT) chairman; Martin Miller, NHT managing director; and John Sinclair, chairman and landowner, New Rozelle Properties during Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the company’s new housing development in St Thomas. Photo: Garfield Robinson

“Let’s be frank, even in areas that were directly hit by Hurricane Melissa there were houses that stood up and nothing happened to them, and when you look at their construction you can see what protected them. Even hip and timber roofs stood up because of how they were constructed,” he said.

“Yes, you might get a threshold minimum for your design, but improve on it to make sure that, even if you are hit by a Category 5 hurricane, the person who owns the home will just come up and sweep away the leaves and fallen trees and they are fine,” Holness urged the developer.

He noted that the project was being financed under a guaranteed purchase programme through the NHT that sees the State housing agency buying majority of the houses at a particular price. That, Holness explained, will give the developer a certain level of insurance that there won’t be a struggle to sell the houses when construction is complete.

“The guaranteed purchase programme also places some funds at the disposal of the developer up front so you can begin your work. Not all of the houses… will be purchased by the NHT, so the developer still has a number of houses that will be at their discretion as to how they sell them, but 660 will be at the discretion of the NHT,” Holness said.

“The guaranteed purchase programme is a wonderful innovation and I encourage more developers, especially in St Thomas, to utilise it,” he added.

Holness also used the occasion to plug the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), the body being established to coordinate post-disaster rebuilding and resilience efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The legislation establishing NaRRA, which was approved by the Government side in Parliament two weeks ago, also seeks to fast-track major public and private investment projects considered important to economic recovery and national resilience.

On Friday, Holness highlighted that NaRRA has a built-in pathway called the Facilitated Acceleration of Strategic Transformation (FAST) Programme, which facilitates quick approvals.

He told his audience that the application for the Rozelle project had been submitted three years ago and lamented that it took too long for the developer to get approval and for ground to be broken.

“The FAST Programme is to encourage projects that help to form resilience that are in synergy with infrastructure, especially in areas where the Government is doing reconstruction activity to apply it to NaRRA to have these projects considered for quick approval so that you don’t have to spend three and five years in gestation before the project can come to fruition,” the prime minister said.

“The minimum financial threshold is US$15 million. This project would have easily qualified because you are at almost $9 billion. We urge developers, investors to apply to NaRRA to be considered for development. NaRRA is developing projects of strategic importance, projects that support the Government’s stated agenda for development,” Holness said.

“As we break ground, let us understand what is being planted here. We are planting homes, communities, but we are creating opportunities that will bear fruits for your families and their future in Jamaica. Most important, we are giving housing with dignity. If you think of what is at the heart of the Jamaican struggle, every Jamaican wants a piece of ‘The Rock’, it doesn’t have to be big,” the prime minister said.

He added that while James Robertson, the Member of Parliament for St Thomas Western, had said he is expecting that within the next three years 5,000 new houses will be built in the parish, the number could increase significantly.

“I will tell you that within the next three years in St Thomas, you could double that, you could have 10,000 houses and the NHT will tell you that there are several landowners along this stretch who have already approached the NHT for them to purchase lands and for them to partner for housing development,” Holness said.

“St Thomas is going to benefit from an expansion in the housing thrust because of its proximity to the Kingston Metropolitan Area. The roadway is convenient, the lands are available, the water infrastructure has been put in, and the Government’s policy is to support housing development along this corridor,” Holness stated.