JCF member secures Malvern NHT lot after final-minute application

Jenelle Hoilette spent several years working towards one goal: to give her three children somewhere permanent to call their own. That hope moved forward when the 31-year-old mother was awarded a serviced lot in the National Housing Trust’s Malvern Housing Development.

Hoilette first learnt she had been selected after her aunt saw her name among the successful applicants. "I felt like I had won the lottery," Hoilette recalled with a laugh. "When I finally saw the email, I screamed."

For the Jamaica Constabulary Force member, the property is more than a parcel of land. She sees it as the result of years of waiting, trying and believing that homeownership would eventually be within reach.

Hoilette was one of 27 NHT contributors who formally received serviced lots at a handover ceremony last Thursday. The allocation has brought the beneficiaries closer to owning homes in the St Elizabeth development.

"My greatest fear was not leaving anything for my children," Hoilette said. "This land is something they can inherit. Acquiring it at this age gives me freedom and creates opportunities for the future."

Her successful bid came after earlier housing applications failed. Hoilette submitted her request for the Malvern lots only 30 minutes before the application portal closed, a decision that has now become central to the future she wants to build for her family.

Women account for nearly 70 per cent of the successful applicants in the development. Many of them are seeking not only houses, but lasting stability for their households. A number of the beneficiaries are also young adults, with several falling between ages 19 and 35.

The recipients have been granted full financing for the lots. They will also be able to access further assistance to construct their homes through low-interest arrangements.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, who gave the keynote address at the ceremony, said the handover should be viewed as more than the distribution of land.

"Today we hand over land, but we also hand over a foundation for families to live and build on. When a family builds here, they are building into order. This is how wealth is built," he said.

NHT Chairman Linval Freeman said the Malvern project forms part of the Trust’s broader spending in St Elizabeth, where demand for housing continues to rise and the agency is also focusing on infrastructure and community development.

"Housing is not just about providing a structure. It is about creating the conditions for people to build stable lives, raise their families and contribute meaningfully to national development. That is why our investments must go beyond construction to supporting the communities in which Jamaicans live and grow," he said.

For Hoilette, the message is personal. As she stood on the lot where she hopes to build her family home, she said the achievement is tied to the generations coming after her.

"Acquiring this land and building this home is for them and their children," she said.