Opposition Questions Delay in Hurricane Container Houses Roll Out

Opposition Spokesman on Housing and Sustainable Living, Professor Senator Floyd Morris, is raising concerns over what he describes as the government's failure to distribute containerised houses intended for citizens affected by Hurricane Melissa, despite repeated assurance that the units had arrived on the island.

 

Professor Morris said it is unacceptable that 9 months after Hurricane Melissa destroyed homes of thousands of Jamaicans, it has not been disclosed that a single family has received one of the 5,000 containerized houses the government committed to purchasing.

 

He said, “Two months have elapsed since the government indicated that the homes are here and we have not seen one of those houses distributed to any of the citizens who had their homes totally destroyed in the affected parishes. And we want to know because it is a disgrace. It is scandalous that 9 months after the hurricane, these people have not gotten the homes that they were promised by the government.”

 

Senator Morris also questioned what he described as a pattern of delays in the government's response to hurricane recovery efforts, citing the distribution of hurricane assistance funds as an example.

 

He's calling for clarity on what is causing the delays, how beneficiaries will be selected and whether members of parliament in affected parishes will have an opportunity to recommend persons for the housing support.

 

“There's a clear pattern that is developing. It's the same way the government got money over $1.2 billion in terms of funding for hurricane assistance and we see where less than 2% of these funds were distributed to the people. We want to know what is the situation with these containerized homes. We want to know what is causing the undue delay. When will these houses be distributed to the people?”

 

The opposition spokesman said the government owes the Jamaican people an honest explanation for the continued delays.

 

“The government cannot be busy trying to forge deals with third country nationals and to provide accommodation for them when our people, after the most catastrophic hurricane to have hit the island, cannot get a house to live in. It is a disgrace. It is scandalous and we want to know.”