Hardware and Lumber Limited (H&L) through its newly created H&L Homes subsidiary has entered the local real estate market with modular housing solutions designed to meet the country’s growing demand for affordable homes.

Citing figures which showed a housing need of about 100,000 units; project lead and chief category manager for H&L Homes Patrick Chambers outlined the company’s ambition for its new venture.

“We don’t want all of that. One per cent will do. That’s about 1,000 a year — we’ll be happy with that or a little more,” Chambers said during an interview with the Jamaica Observer following the official launch of the units packaged as starter kits on Wednesday.

“Housing has been in short supply for a very long time and that problem is yet to be resolved, we have seen attempts over the many years to arrest the problem but the demand continues to be great. In creating these units, of which we are very proud, I hope that they will help to solve the problems of affordable housing in Jamaica and also that our local stakeholders will find the product attractive,” H&L chairman Erwin Burton added.

Financed primarily through working capital and supported by a small investment from existing inventory, the initiative marks a strategic expansion for H&L as it seeks to increase revenue and diversify its offerings. H&L is currently one of the country’s leading home improvement retailers. Alongside H&L Homes, the company operates 10 H&L Rapid Tru-Value stores, H&L Agro (a supplier of gardening and agricultural products), Regency Blinds, courier service Brown Box, and block-making enterprise Centurion.

“We are now a one-stop shop where customers can get everything, from the building to furnishing and finishes. We have been developing these units for a long period of time, but we had to get the timing right before putting it on the market. We need people to be able to build their homes seamlessly so we have to have contractors trained and this will be done by the University of Technology (UTech),” Chambers noted.

The units, currently marketed as three adaptable models, consist of the Bougainvillea or one-bedroom spanning 332 square feet being sold for $4.1 million while the Hibiscus or two-bedroom unit at 450 sq ft goes for $4.5 million. The Poinciana or three-bedroom unit at 944 sq ft starts as $8.9 million. All prices are exclusive of GCT and do not include land, foundation, labour, or other construction costs. Each unit includes a bathroom(s), kitchen, and a living room. The cost of materials covers everything from the foundation to roof, including high-strength concrete panels, ceramic tiles, bathroom fixtures, windows and mouldings, a kitchenette with sink and faucet, electrical wiring, and a water tank.

Built with eco-friendly Eterboard concrete panels certified by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), the homes are designed for durability and resilience. They are water-, fire-, hurricane-, earthquake- and termite-resistant. With the foundation laid, the units can be assembled within six to eight weeks and are thereafter ready for occupancy.

In partnership with UTech, which ensures compliance with national building codes, contractor training will also be made available to support requests for custom design. Fourteen approved builders and developers — one in each parish — have already been on-boarded to manage construction for the hundreds of applications H&L has so far received for units. Aside from individual homeowners, interest in the units have been coming from a number of persons including large developers and some Airbnb operators.

“This idea wasn’t conceived overnight,” Chambers emphasised. “It’s been nine years in the making. Now is the time — we believe these homes are revolutionary in that people now have the chance to build far more, for far less, especially given the deficit in housing we have.”

With its official launch complete, H&L has already secured support from key industry stakeholders such as the National Housing Trust, the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), and financial institutions, ensuring that customers can access mortgage financing.

Looking ahead, Chambers revealed plans for a five-bedroom model and hinted at even more ambitious developments. “These units are just the beginning. In the future, we’ll introduce multi-storey models using metal and steel, still at an affordable price point. As we move forward I believe people will start seeing this not just as low-income housing but as a low-cost, efficient alternative to traditional block-and-steel construction,” he said.