Montego Bay rebuild expo to spotlight safer, affordable housing after Hurricane Melissa

Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Melissa recovery should not be limited to putting back what was lost, Montego Bay Deputy Mayor and Build Expo Jamaica Chairman Dwight Crawford says. He is urging a rebuilding approach that gives everyday Jamaicans better access to reasonably priced, storm-ready and modern building options.

Crawford made the comments at Tuesday’s Montego Bay launch of the Recover and Rebuild Jamaica Expo 2026. “Ten years ago, we had a bright idea that the building industry had great needs, and what we found was that persons were being [overcharged], information was not accessible, and building systems were not available,” he said.

The Recover and Rebuild Jamaica Expo is set for July 11 and 12 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Organisers are presenting the two-day event as a hands-on recovery hub where homeowners, business operators, state agencies, lenders, contractors, architects, engineers and suppliers can meet in one place. The aim is to help people find the guidance and materials needed to rebuild houses and commercial areas.

The event is expected to include a marketplace for building products and construction technologies, along with a professional area where members of the public can consult architects and engineers. It will also offer seminars on climate-resilient building and financing, business sponsorship openings, and networking sessions linking public-sector and private-sector interests.

The expo is being staged through a collaboration between the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Build Expo Jamaica. Its central focus is to help Jamaicans choose rebuilding methods that are better informed, sustainable and able to cope with changing climate risks.

Crawford said many people across the country still do not have enough information about construction systems and stronger building practices. He also argued that preparing for severe weather does not always mean trying to overpower natural forces.

He said Build Expo Jamaica began a decade ago but stopped for a period during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Although Built Expo had a temporary halt, it has made me very proud to be able to boast that many of the building systems that are being used in Jamaica now were introduced here by Build Expo,” Crawford said. He added: “Sometimes you ride the waves, and other times, you build the house on stilts.”

Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Jason Russell said many Jamaicans are putting back homes and businesses with short-term fixes because they do not know enough about safer and more economical choices.

Russell said this year’s Rebuild Expo Jamaica is intended to give people clearer guidance and show them suitable materials for their reconstruction needs. “Jamaicans are rebuilding. They’re building their homes, they’re rebuilding their businesses, but how are they building them?” he asked, pointing to roadside shops being rebuilt with plywood and zinc, which he said leaves them exposed to future hurricanes.

He said a major goal of the expo is to introduce Jamaicans to better building technologies, safer construction systems and learning resources that can improve building standards islandwide.