176 Churches Apply for Help: How a $75 Million Clean-Up Grant Is Being Shared After Melissa

• The SDC received 176 applications from churches for post-Melissa clean-up grants
• The $75 million programme covers five western parishes
• Eligible work includes debris removal, roof sheeting, doors and windows
• Most applications came from St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and St James

Churches in western Jamaica lined up for help to repair their buildings after Hurricane Melissa. In January 2026 the Social Development Commission said it had received 176 applications under the Government’s church clean-up and restoration initiative, the Jamaica Observer reported.

The initiative, announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness as part of the recovery from the October 28, 2025 hurricane, has $75 million in grant funding. It covers churches in St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St James, Trelawny and Hanover.

SDC Executive Director Omar Frith said “the SDC has received 176 applications from churches across 16 constituencies in St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St James, Trelawny and Hanover, with the largest concentration of submissions coming from St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and St James.”

The money is meant for clean-up and basic repairs rather than full rebuilding. Eligible work includes debris removal, replacing roof sheeting, doors, windows and guttering, basic waterproofing and small remedial repairs. The SDC is handling the applications, verifying them in the field and assessing damage with parish teams and the municipal corporations. Debris must be taken to approved sites under National Solid Waste Management Authority rules.

Spread across 176 applicants, $75 million will go only so far, and many congregations will still need their own funds, insurance payouts or overseas partners to rebuild fully. For diaspora members of damaged churches, the grant programme is a useful signal: basic clean-up may be covered, but roofs, walls and furnishings will still need money. Congregations that document damage, keep receipts and apply promptly are best placed to make the most of the help available. Churches that were uninsured before the storm may also want to use this moment to review cover, because a grant for clean-up is no substitute for a policy that pays to rebuild.

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