Across Jamaica, the island’s spiritual landscape is punctuated by church buildings — many historic, some now underutilized, and a growing number completely vacant. With the country facing a persistent housing shortage and young professionals struggling to afford urban real estate, the idea of converting these empty or semi-used churches into affordable homes seems, on the surface, like a no-brainer.
But the reality is far more complicated.
A Dream Delayed by Red Tape
One of the main obstacles is legal. Many churches in Jamaica, especially those over 50 years old, are held in trust. The titles to these properties are often incomplete, missing, or legally tangled in a maze of trustees, deceased signatories, and outdated bylaws.
“You can’t renovate what you can’t legally touch,” says Dean Jones, a real estate consultant and founder at Jamaica Homes. “Many churches are technically owned by entities that no longer exist in a functional sense.”
These legal complications can take years to untangle. Even when a church is no longer holding services, the property remains legally protected under religious or charitable classifications, which are often exempt from property tax — until redevelopment is proposed. That’s when the true complexity becomes clear.
Sentiment and Sacred Space
Another barrier is emotional. Churches hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for Jamaicans. They are not just buildings but symbols — often the centers of community, morality, and history.
“In Jamaica, a church is more than bricks and mortar. It’s memory, it’s marriage, it’s mourning. You can't just slap on drywall and call it a duplex,” Dean Jones explains.
Communities may resist redevelopment out of reverence for what the building represents. The transformation of sacred spaces into secular ones — particularly residential apartments — is sometimes seen as a cultural violation. Even when the church body has ceased operations, older members or families connected to the church’s past may protest any plans to alter the site.
Zoning and Infrastructure Gaps
From a planning standpoint, many churches were built before Jamaica’s modern zoning regulations took effect. They often lack the required setbacks, sewage systems, and road access needed for residential developments. Some churches were erected in flood-prone or hilly terrain — fine for Sunday services, but impractical for housing dense populations.
“You’re looking at retrofitting structures that were never designed for plumbing, ventilation, or fire exits,” Jones notes. “The cost per unit often ends up being more than starting from scratch.”
Retrofitting these structures while complying with The Building Act and other codes is not only costly but also technically limiting. Developers must balance heritage preservation with modern utility — a combination that rarely comes cheap.
Religious Bureaucracy and Decision-Making
Even when the legal and zoning issues are resolved, a major hurdle remains: church leadership. Many denominations in Jamaica operate under hierarchical systems where decisions about property disposition must go through layers of approval — local boards, regional conferences, and even international headquarters.
This decision-making process can be painfully slow and is often influenced by moral debates about what kind of housing is “appropriate.” There is also concern about optics: How will the church be perceived if it sells or converts one of its sacred sites?
“Denominational politics can stall a good housing project for five years — and kill it by year six,” says Jones. “Even when the church wants to do good, it moves like molasses.”
Funding and the Economics of Conversion
Then there’s the money. Turning an old church into liveable housing is not only technically complex, but it is also capital-intensive. Even with government incentives, grants, or NGO partnerships, the numbers don’t always add up for private developers.
Affordable housing in Jamaica is often capped at a price point far below what it costs to retrofit an old church. This creates a dilemma: keep the property empty and deteriorating, or try to turn it into something useful at a loss?
“We’ve run the numbers more than once — sometimes the bricks just don’t bless the budget,” Dean laughs. “It’s hard to justify a project when it bankrupts the very mission you started with: helping people.”
So, What’s the Way Forward?
Despite these challenges, there are potential paths forward. One model being explored is adaptive reuse through public-private partnerships (PPPs). These arrangements allow the state, a church body, and a private developer to work together under clear frameworks, where preservation meets purpose.
Another approach is multi-use development, where parts of the former church are retained for community events or as spiritual heritage centers, while other sections are converted into low-cost housing or senior living units.
“You don’t have to erase the past to build the future. Sometimes, the best design is a hybrid,” Jones adds.
Some NGOs are even advocating for a national registry of disused religious properties — a kind of digital map to help communities, developers, and policymakers identify opportunities for redevelopment.
A Cultural and Economic Imperative
At a time when Jamaica’s housing crisis is intensifying, especially in urban centers like Kingston, Montego Bay, and Mandeville, the need for creative solutions is more pressing than ever. Transforming underused churches into livable, dignified spaces could play a small but symbolic role in solving the larger problem.
But it requires vision, patience, and partnerships across sectors.
“If Jamaica wants to move forward, we can’t let sacred buildings become sacred cows,” Dean Jones concludes. “We must reimagine them — not disrespectfully, but responsibly — in service of the living.”
As the country grapples with how to house its people while honoring its heritage, one thing is clear: Jamaica’s churches may hold the keys to tomorrow’s homes. But unlocking them will require more than hammers and nails — it will demand a shift in thinking, from sentiment to strategy.
Written by Dean Jones, realtor associate, real estate strategist and advocate for sustainable development in Jamaica. He believes in bridging tradition with innovation to solve the island’s most pressing housing challenges.