KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says Jamaica is moving out of the emergency phase of the Hurricane Melissa response and into longer-term recovery, with roof repairs for the most vulnerable households and an overhaul of garbage collection among the early priorities.
Outlining the plan at the end of December, as reported by the Jamaica Observer, the Prime Minister said the Jamaica Defence Force is leading the roof restoration effort, supported by engineering teams from Guyana.
Roofs first, starting with the most vulnerable
About 30 houses had been restored in Whitehouse and Bluefields in Westmoreland, with other crews at work in Middle Quarters, St. Elizabeth, and in Accompong. More than 40,000 household damage assessments had been completed, out of a target of some 90,000.
From January, the Government intends to begin paying grants to vulnerable households, with the elderly, the unemployed and those who cannot fund their own repairs at the front of the line. The Prime Minister described the approach as seeking out the people least able to fix their roofs on their own.
Waste and the gullies
The second plank of the plan targets solid waste. The National Solid Waste Management Authority has received 100 new garbage trucks, though the Prime Minister acknowledged that many more are required. The Government plans to widen private-sector participation in collection and to introduce a digital ticketing system for sanitation offences, modelled on traffic tickets.
Dr. Holness tied the issue directly to flooding, noting that discarded material ends up in gullies, blocks them and floods surrounding neighbourhoods.
What it means for homeowners and renters
The emphasis on the most vulnerable means that many working households, including those with some savings or access to credit, should not expect to be early recipients of state help and may need to plan their own repairs through the National Housing Trust, their bank or insurer. Households that have not yet been assessed should make sure they are on the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s list, since an official assessment is the gateway to assistance. For property owners and tenants in flood-prone areas, better garbage management is not a side issue: clogged drains are one of the main reasons low-lying homes take on water, and progress on that front could have a direct bearing on future damage, insurance costs and property values.
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