Holness Urges St. Thomas Developers to Use NHT Guaranteed Purchase Plan

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness is calling on housing developers in St. Thomas to engage the National Housing Trust (NHT) through its Guaranteed Purchase Programme (GPP), a public–private mechanism aimed at lifting the pace of home delivery. He issued the appeal in a keynote address at the May 8 ground-breaking for the Rozelle Estate housing scheme in the parish.

The NHT rolled out the GPP in November 2018 to let private developers plan and build housing while the Trust takes on market risk by buying units within approved schemes. The model is meant to draw on private-sector efficiency so homes can be supplied at lower cost and on tighter timelines, with developers carrying most of the delivery risk. Under the programme, they handle design, construction, upkeep, and project close-out; finished units then reach eligible NHT contributors via the Trust’s financing products.

“The Guaranteed Purchase Programme, I think, is a wonderful innovation, and I encourage more developers, especially in St. Thomas, to approach the NHT to utilise it,” the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Holness said St. Thomas is primed for a housing upswing because of continuing infrastructure work and the parish’s closeness to the Kingston Metropolitan Area. “The roadway is convenient, the lands are available, the water infrastructure has been put in, and the Government policy is to support housing development along this corridor,” he stated.

He also said the parish could receive roughly 10,000 housing solutions within the next three years. “The NHT will tell you that there are several landowners along this stretch that have already approached the Trust for them to purchase lands and for them to partner with housing development,” Dr. Holness added.

Rozelle Estate is being built through a partnership between the NHT and New Rozelle Properties Limited. The scheme is expected to yield 895 housing solutions at an estimated cost of $9.65 billion, with one- and two-bedroom units. Of the 895 homes, 660 are earmarked for the NHT and 235 will remain with New Rozelle Properties Limited.