ROOFS phase two targets delayed grants for Hurricane Melissa-hit Jamaicans

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security says it is preparing the next stage of the ROOFS housing recovery programme, as many Jamaicans who suffered damage from Hurricane Melissa are still awaiting clarity ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

Acting Permanent Secretary Deonne Jennings told the PAAC that the programme has already paid out about $9.45 billion for home rehabilitation. She said 94,000 assessments have been cleaned and verified, while roughly 74,000 have gone through geospatial checks and validation.

However, Jennings said a significant number of applications could not move straight to payment because they failed to meet the requirements or needed further review. The ministry has been dealing with duplicate submissions, incomplete household information, geospatial mismatches and problems linked to Taxpayer Registration Numbers.

According to Jennings, more than 33,000 applicants were listed in the minor damage category, over 37,000 in the major damage group, and more than 16,000 had homes assessed as completely destroyed. She said phase two will focus on correcting and treating the data so additional applicants can be processed.

For persons who applied but said they received no response, Jennings said members of parliament had already been sent the names of those verified and cleared for payment. She added that once more data is cleaned, further lists will be shared, including cases where TRNs need validation and field teams must help confirm or locate applicants.

Committee members raised concern that, seven months after the disaster, assessments were still being carried out with another hurricane season only days away. PAAC Chairman Peter Bunting also asked that consideration be given to displaced hurricane victims who have been summoned for jury duty, including some now staying outside their home parishes. A commitment was given to send communication seeking greater consideration for affected persons who may struggle to attend court.