Habitat for Humanity Jamaica is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to eradicate sub-standard housing on the island of Jamaica by building homes for families in need. Our mission also includes a commitment to making the provision of decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
We are a registered company approved under the Approved Institutions and Organisations established and operated for charitable or educational purposes under Section 13(1)(q) of the Income Tax Act of Jamaica.
Initiated by local business leaders in 1992, Habitat for Humanity Jamaica has, since that time, provided decent homes for almost 300 families in seven parishes in the island.
Our homes are built with block and steel, post and panel and the Royal Building System which uses pre- fabricated concrete technology and vary between one and two bedroom units with a living area, indoor kitchen & bathroom.
Habitat for Humanity Jamaica is governed at the national level by its Board of Directors, and at the community level it is managed by community residents and potential beneficiaries organized in a Habitat Local Affiliate. The North West is one such affiliate.
The North West Affiliate covers the parishes of Hanover, Saint James and Trelawny. We have been actively engaged in community and home building in the North West region for over ten years and in that time have provided homes for over twenty families.
There is a great need for housing in our region and so we hope to increase our building significantly by building at least twenty houses every year. But we will need a lot of help to do this.
At this time, our home building has slowed down tremendously as we are in dire need of financial assistance.
Financial support comes from various sources including Habitat programs abroad, local individuals, churches and corporations.
These contributions provide 10 to 12 year interest free loans to low-income families. Their monthly payments go into a revolving fund, which offers other families a chance at home ownership. The average cost of building a Habitat house in Jamaica is US$ 12,000.
If you would like to find out more about Habitat for Humanity, Jamaica North West, and how you can help us to continue to provide decent, affordable housing for Jamaicans, please visit our website at http://habitatmobay.tripod.com/ or e-mail Keri Johnson at kerij2@cwjamaica.com .
