No container communties | Engineer-architect coalition calls on government to put in place hurricane-resilent housing
/ Our Today
administrator
The Jamaican Institute of Architects (JIA), in tandem with the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica (IMAJ) and the Jamaica Institute of Engineers (JIE), are calling for a national shift to hurricane-resilient housing with temporary containers used only for urgent relief shelter.
Five weeks after Hurricane Melissa destroyed more than 40,000 homes and damaged an estimated 191,000 across western Jamaica, the nation’s contractors, engineers, and registered architects are urging a pivot toward permanent, hurricane-resilient block-and-steel, reinforced concrete, and engineered-timber housing as the foundation of national recovery.
Only strong, code-compliant structures can break Jamaica’s cycle of vulnerability. Our organisations stand ready to guide the Government and communities with proven standards, appropriate designs, and the technical expertise required to rebuild stronger, safer, and climate-resilient homes and towns.
We acknowledge that the Government is in the process of procuring an estimated 5,000 foldable container units; however, these units must be treated strictly as temporary emergency shelter—used only after passing structural, thermal, chemical, and anchorage testing by the BSJ and UWI OESH, and certified as safe by ODPEM.
Container shelters cannot replace permanent housing and must not evolve into long-term “container communities.”
Hurricane Melissa demonstrated that concrete walls, reinforced roofs, strong fastening systems, and professionally supervised construction significantly outperformed makeshift buildings.
The IMAJ, JIE, and JIA therefore recommend a national programme centred on affordable block-and-steel and reinforced-concrete starter homes, roofing grants, relocation from high-risk zones, and PAHO-standard engineered-timber units—all designed to withstand category five winds.
Jamaica’s engineers, architects, and local contractors understand the island’s terrain, construction ecosystem, and climate risks.
Our professionals work daily with local soils, materials, labour systems, and coastal and hillside conditions—knowledge essential for safe and durable rebuilding.
National recovery must therefore rely on professional guidance to ensure solutions are safe, culturally appropriate, and properly adapted to Jamaica’s varied environment.
Professional inspection and enforcement of the Building Code must be treated as national priorities.
Jamaica’s contractors, engineers, and architects stand ready to help the country rebuild safer, stronger, and resilient communities.
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