THE National Housing Trust (NHT) is making lots available to developers interested in rolling out unconventional building systems that will boost sustainability and lower costs within Jamaica’s housing market.

“We want to encourage our developers that may have these alternative building systems in their heads and are willing to explore how that could translate into actual housing in Jamaica. Because that’s also part of the challenge: most of these building systems haven’t been tried in Jamaica,” the NHT’s Assistant General Manager, Communications and Public Affairs Dwayne Berbick told the Jamaica Observer during a recent interview.

“We’ll make the land available for them to do the construction on it. We can test it, we can evaluate it; customers who may have doubts about it can actually come and see an actual unit. We can determine whether there’s a sufficient market for it and we can see what kind of partnership arrangement we can get into [with the developer] after that,” he added.

Berbick explained that part of the assessment to determine a building system’s suitability for the local environment would include occupying the prototypes to see how they perform. He conceded that it may take some doing for locals to embrace new methods.

“We are a traditionally block and steel country and we are generally suspicious of anything that is not block and steel. So we are encouraging our developers to demonstrate some of these sustainable and alternative building systems with us,” he urged.

While the trust looks forward to the next big innovation that will revolutionise the housing market, there have been other options to block and steel over the years. Precast concrete, for example, has been widely incorporated into Jamaica’s construction sector. The factory-made slabs are transported to building sites where they are fitted together. Benefits include uniformity, decreased construction time and the walls can even be ordered with a certain finish or paint already built in. It is usually used for larger projects.

In 2002 Free Form Factory entered the market with its variation of expanded polystyrene (EPS) — a lightweight and thermally efficient material — coupled with reinforced concrete to create an insulated concrete panel (ICP) system.

“By utilising EPS foam, a recyclable and environmentally friendly material, in conjunction with concrete, a durable and long-lasting substance, the ICP system minimises waste and reduces the reliance on traditional building material. Furthermore, the energy-efficient properties of ICP buildings contribute to a greener future by curbing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable living practices,” the company noted in its marketing material.

Kingston Logistics Centre Limited (KLC) is among the latest to enter the market with another alternative. Last April it created quite a stir when it began offering six types of container homes — from one bedroom to three bedrooms with price tags ranging from $2.5 million to $12.5 million. Dubbed Upcycled Container Homes, they are made from shipping containers widely used in other aspects of KLC’s operations. Jamaicans have long repurposed these metal structures and KLC essentially took it to the next level. However, questions have been raised about whether container homes would qualify for an NHT mortgage.

Berbick told the Sunday Observer that the sticking point is the risk that comes with insuring an item that may potentially be whisked away to another location.

“How is it anchored to the land? I think once that question is answered and accepted by the insurer, from our standpoint, we don’t have a challenge per se, in providing mortgages for them. But that is something that is still being discussed. At the appropriate time once the research is done, we could articulate that position a little clearer,” he said.

While the NHT awaits further developments in these and other alternative building systems, it continues its work on sustainability within Jamaica’s housing market. A major part of that push is its commitment to incorporating green spaces in its projects.

“We took that approach some years back, that every NHT development must have green spaces designed for recreation. Another thing that we’ve also looked at is to ensure that every beneficiary of an NHT project is given fruit trees to plant on the property as a part of that whole sustainability trend,” said Berbick.

“Scientists will tell you that things like trees in the space actually assist in terms of keeping it cooler, reducing your reliance on air conditioning units,” he added.

On July 1, the NHT began accepting applications for its smart energy loan, it’s their way of making it easier for homeowners to harness the benefits of renewable energy. And for years it has been hosting activities and contests aimed at educating residents and getting them on board.

“One of the things that our Social Development Department does is to encourage sustainability practices. We have our NHT Best Schemes competition, and one of its components is sustainability of the environment,” Berbick outlined.

“We’ve seen, over the years, NHT schemes starting their own environment clubs. There are communities that come together and do composting, different sustainability practices that we integrate at the household level during the life cycle of them living in the NHT scheme. That also comes through our social development department,” he added.

The big push now, however, is attracting developers with new ideas that will boost sustainability at an even more meaningful level.

“The research and development department is driving that in terms of finding out what are the new building systems that are coming to the fore, that perhaps we can look at how we can integrate into our construction process with a view to be more sustainable and to reduce the cost of housing itself,” said Berbick.