More container homes arriving for Hurricane Melissa relocation effort

PAROTTEE, St Elizabeth — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness says Jamaica is expected to receive 300 additional container homes today, adding to the Government’s programme to house Jamaicans whose homes were destroyed when Hurricane Melissa struck last October.

Holness said 1,200 of the units are already in the island, with today’s shipment to raise that number by another 300. He said the final 1,000 units are projected to arrive by July. The 2,500 housing solutions are being used as part of the State’s response for people who have to move from communities severely damaged by the Category 5 hurricane, as well as those who lost everything and cannot rebuild.

The prime minister was speaking Thursday at the National Housing Trust’s handover of 27 serviced lots in Malvern, St Elizabeth. In his address, he identified Parottee, the coastal St Elizabeth community badly affected by the hurricane, as one of the areas being considered for relocation support.

Holness said a significant share of the units will be placed in St Elizabeth. He said his tour of Parottee showed that restoring some homes in the battered coastal area would cost more than the structures being saved.

According to Holness, residents of Parottee have already been told that relocation is necessary. He said the process will be handled in a way that protects their livelihoods, preserves the value of their property, and maintains their dignity. He also said the move will not happen instantly and that residents will be involved throughout the process.

The National Housing Trust, the Urban Development Corporation and the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation will work together on the relocation initiative, Holness said. He added that the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, NaRRA, will have an important coordinating function to keep agencies aligned and moving quickly so displaced residents can benefit.

Holness also repeated that people now sheltering at Petersfield High School are among those expected to receive container homes.

He said the NHT has also selected two clusters in Westmoreland for construction of the semi-permanent housing solutions. The prime minister said the rollout of the units in Jamaica will be closely assessed to determine whether they can be used more widely and whether a financing model can support them.

Holness said the Government will also examine the social effects of the housing units, including how access to that type of accommodation changes people’s lives and behaviour.

The prime minister said the NHT has identified five locations for the placement of container homes. Units deployed more broadly across Jamaica will be handled through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development. He said the NHT is also helping to construct the bases on which the semi-permanent homes will sit.

Holness said the NHT has spent more than US$29 million to acquire 2,500 semi-permanent modular housing solutions.

During the same address, Holness again defended the Government against criticism that $1.4 billion donated for hurricane relief remains largely unspent. He said that while the Government may not have drawn down that sum, it has spent almost $67 billion on the range of items people needed after the storm.

Holness said the administration decided that donated funds should be tied to needs that are tangible, visible, traceable, meaningful and lasting, adding that he makes no apology for that approach.

He argued that the decision reflects what separates his administration from previous ones, saying it makes sound financial choices. Holness said donors to Jamaica’s hurricane relief would be proud to see the homes being erected and the bases being shown.

He contrasted that with spending all the money on food or grants where, he said, there may be no public proof or testimonial from beneficiaries. A completed house, he said, remains visible, and the public will be able to see how the resources were used.