US$5 Million for Roofs and Stronger Houses: Food For The Poor Commits to Rebuilding Jamaica’s Melissa-Hit Homes

• Food For The Poor pledged US$5 million for housing repair and reconstruction
• Hundreds of roof-repair kits were already funded for western parishes
• A new ‘FFTP Hybrid’ house adds concrete strengthening to a wood frame
• The charity said buying materials locally would help the economy

One month after Hurricane Melissa made landfall on October 28, 2025, Food For The Poor announced a US$5 million commitment to repair and rebuild homes across Jamaica, the Jamaica Observer reported. The faith-based charity said the money would let it start ordering materials, staging supplies and sending repair teams into communities straight away.

“What matters now is moving quickly,” said Andrew Mahfood, chairman of the charity’s board. “This US$5 million commitment allows us to begin ordering materials, staging supplies and getting repair teams into communities without delay. Families need and deserve to move back into permanent homes that are safe and strong.”

The plan runs on two tracks. For damaged houses, the charity said hundreds of roof-repair kits were already funded, with deployment starting in the heavily affected western parishes and more kits to follow once field teams had finished their assessments. “For many families, putting a roof back on their home is the difference between safety and exposure from the elements,” Mahfood said. For homes that were completely destroyed, it introduced the “FFTP Hybrid”, an upgraded wood-frame house with concrete strengthening for better wind resistance, reinforced roof structures and improved durability. The charity said it was also seeking more financing for immediate construction.

The pledge followed a large relief operation. By the charity’s count, it had delivered more than 116 emergency shipments by air and sea, distributed four million pounds of supplies, reached more than 24,000 families and deployed 1,600 volunteers, while raising warehouse output to 3,500 food kits a day. It said it was working with the Government, churches and local and international partners, and that buying materials locally would also help stimulate the economy.

“Recovery will take time, but Jamaicans have always met hardship together,” Mahfood said.

The design detail may be the most important part of the story. After two major hurricanes in two years, the question for Jamaican families, returnees building on family land and churches helping members rebuild is not only how fast a house goes back up, but whether it will stand next time. A wood-frame home stiffened with concrete and a reinforced roof is an attempt to split the difference between affordability and resilience. Anyone commissioning a rebuild, whether through a charity, a church or a private contractor, should be asking the same questions about roof ties, bracing and wind rating before the first sheet of zinc goes on.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com