Gov't to begin issuing repair grants to hurricane-hit households in January

 

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says as the country prepares for 2026, the government is continuing to move decisively from disaster relief to recovery.

 

The Jamaica Defence Force is leading the national roof repair programme, supported by engineering teams from Guyana. 

 

In an updated post on X, Dr. Holness said priority is being given to the most vulnerable households, with repairs already underway in affected communities.

 

More than 40,000 damage assessments have been completed, with a target of 90,000.

 

The Prime Minister says beginning in January, the government will issue grants to assessed households to support repairs. 

 

This, he says, will stimulate economic activity by creating jobs. 

 

"We are hoping that by the time we are ready to do distribution, we will be over 50,000 assessments. The objective is to go up to about 90,000 assessments. We are trying to cover all the households. Clearly, we won't be able to give everyone. But certainly everyone who we have assessed as being in need, have come to our attention and we have the resources, we will give grants. 

 

"And let me just be upfront, these are not grants that are going to be able to restore your entire house. For some, depending on the damage, it may. But for others, this is the government saying here is something for you to start, to help you, to assist. And I believe that that infusion of cash will itself have a positive impact on the economy," Dr. Holness noted.