This year, the National Housing Trust (NHT) marks its 50th anniversary, a milestone worthy of recognition. Established in 1976 under the visionary leadership of the Most Honourable Michael Manley, the NHT has transformed the landscape of housing in Jamaica.

Over the past five decades, it has helped to provide more than 300,000 homes and improve the lives of over one million Jamaicans. In doing so, it has not only built houses, but communities, contributing significantly to the development of areas such as Portmore and supporting the establishment of schools, health centers, and other essential services within and around its housing developments.

We must also recall that at the time of its creation, the NHT faced strong opposition and skepticism. Some even derisively referred to it as the “National Hol’ Down and Tek Weh.” Fifty years later, history has clearly proven otherwise. Far from holding people down, the NHT has lifted thousands of Jamaicans into home ownership, stability, and dignity.

Today, it stands as one of the most impactful institutions in Jamaica’s national development, and we can take pride in both its achievements and the lives it continues to change. Initiatives such as the NHT remind us that when leadership is bold and social justice is placed at the centre of decision-making, the course of a nation can be transformed for generations to come

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