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Police officer Janelle Hoilette has faced her share of high-pressure moments, but nothing prepared the 31-year-old mother of three for the phone call that would change her family’s future.

Her aunt had spotted her name on the list of successful applicants for a Serviced Lot in the National Housing Trust’s (NHT) Malvern Housing Development.

“I felt like I had won the lottery,” Hoilette recalled with a laugh. “When I finally saw the email, I screamed.”

For Hoilette, the land is far more than a piece of property. It is the answer to years of hoping, applying, and waiting. More importantly, it is a chance to give her children something she has always wanted for them, a home with room to run, play, and simply be children.

Growing up, Hoilette dreamed of one day creating that kind of life for her own family. After missing out on other housing opportunities, she submitted her application for the Malvern development just 30 minutes before the portal closed.

That last-minute decision has now become the foundation of a family legacy.

Hoilette was among 27 contributors who officially received Serviced Lots during a handover ceremony at the NHT’s Malvern Housing Development in St. Elizabeth on Thursday, June 4, bringing them one step closer to homeownership.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, who delivered the keynote address, said the handover represented much more than the distribution of land.

“Today we hand over land, but we also hand over a foundation for families to live and build on. When a family builds here, they are building into order.

This is how wealth is built,” he said.

The Prime Minister noted that Serviced Lots provide an affordable entry point into the housing market, helping more Jamaicans achieve the dream of owning property. 

Nearly 70 per cent of the successful applicants for the development are women, many of whom are building not only homes but long-term security for their families. Several beneficiaries are also between the ages of 19 and 35.

NHT Chairman Linval Freeman said the Malvern development reflects the Trust’s commitment to making homeownership more accessible through innovative financing solutions and community investment.

Beneficiaries have received 100 per cent financing for their lots and will be able to access additional support to build their homes at low interest rates. Freeman said the development is part of the NHT’s broader investment in St. Elizabeth, where it continues to respond to growing housing demand while improving infrastructure and strengthening communities.

“Housing is not just about providing a structure. It is about creating the conditions for people to build stable lives, raise their families and contribute meaningfully to national development. That is why our investments must go beyond construction to supporting the communities in which Jamaicans live and grow,” he said.

For Hoilette, those words resonate deeply.

“My greatest fear was not leaving anything for my children,” she said. “This land is something they can inherit. Acquiring it at this age gives me freedom and creates opportunities for the future.”

Standing on the property where her family home will one day rise, Hoilette can already picture the future, her children running across the yard, grandchildren visiting, and a dream that started with a last-minute application becoming a lasting inheritance.

“Acquiring this land and building this home is for them and their children,” she said.