Hurricane Melissa damage assessment completed; 100,000 properties evaluated - Charles Jr

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr. says the Government has completed the damage assessments and self-reporting processes as part of its response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Speaking at this morning’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Charles Jr said 100,000 assessments were conducted using the Jamaica Household Damage, Impact and Needs Assessment (JHDINA) dashboard.

The minister said systems are in place for persons to call and receive status updates on their assessments.

Under the Restoration of Owner and Occupant Family Shelter (ROOFS) Programme — an initiative launched to assist homeowners and occupants in repairing houses damaged by Hurricane Melissa — individuals whose homes sustained minor damage will receive a grant of $75,000, those with major damage will receive $200,000, and individuals whose homes were severely damaged will receive $500,000.

Charles stated that beneficiaries will be contacted via text message with an attached link and QR code, along with the approved location for collecting building materials.

He stressed that verification and distribution will be done in batches.

To date, more than $5.2 billion has been paid out.

Meanwhile, Charles said he is very confident in the Government's ability to prevent fraud within the ROOFS programme.

“MOCA is our partner, and on the instructions of our Prime Minister, we have been collaborating with MOCA to make sure that the funds are utilised for the appropriate means and to ensure that all aspects of this entire process, including the hardware and other elements of the ROOFS programme, are running smoothly, streamlined, and within the law,” he said.

- Sashanna Small

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