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🇯🇲 Jamaica /Disasters & Emergencies

Jamaica signs $1 billion contracts for semi-permanent homes for hurricane-hit families

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Jamaica signed contracts worth $1 billion to provide about 268 semi-permanent housing units for families affected by Hurricane Melissa.
  • The programme will deliver 143 units in Westmoreland and 125 in St Elizabeth, two of the parishes hardest hit by the storm.
  • The work includes foundations, external works, sewage and water systems, and units supplied through Jamaica’s National Housing Trust and the Chinese government.

Jamaica has signed $1 billion in contracts to put approximately 268 semi-permanent homes within reach of families displaced by Hurricane Melissa. The programme targets Westmoreland and St Elizabeth, the two parishes identified as among the worst affected by the hurricane’s October 28 passage.

Westmoreland is set to receive 143 housing solutions, while 125 are earmarked for St Elizabeth. The units will come through Jamaica’s National Housing Trust and housing support provided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

This is a major undertaking, and it requires urgency, coordination and accountability. It also requires strong partnerships among Government, Members of Parliament, contractors, technical teams and all the stakeholders who will help to move these solutions from plans on paper to homes for the people who need them.

· Arlene WilliamsJamaica’s permanent secretary described the coordination and accountability required to deliver the housing programme.

At the contract-signing ceremony, Permanent Secretary Arlene Williams described the project as a major undertaking requiring urgency, coordination and accountability. She said government agencies, lawmakers, contractors, technical teams and other stakeholders would need to work together to turn the plans into homes.

Today is not only about signing contracts. It is about giving hope to the families who are affected by the hurricane. At the end of today, the success will be measured when a child has somewhere safe to lay their head and to do their studies rather than in a classroom or in a hurricane shelter.

· Robert MontagueThe minister linked the project to restoring safety and stability for displaced families.

Minister of State Robert Montague framed the programme as an effort to restore safety and stability to families forced from their homes. “Today is not only about signing contracts. It is about giving hope to the families who are affected by the hurricane. At the end of today, the success will be measured when a child has somewhere safe to lay their head and to do their studies rather than in a classroom or in a hurricane shelter,” he said.

The government chose semi-permanent housing because it wants to shelter affected families quickly while it considers other options for the broader recovery effort. Officials said beneficiaries had been verified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, with additional checks on household circumstances. The contracts cover excavation of foundations and footings, construction of bases and external works, and installation of sewage and water distribution systems.

We really want to ensure that our people move into these semi-permanent homes.

· Robert MontagueMontague explained the government’s immediate housing priority.
About this summary

Originally published by Jamaica Observer in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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