$35 Million Marie Atkins Night Shelter Renovation As Gov’t Bolsters Services for the Homeless

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has announced a $35 million renovation project for the Marie Atkins Night Shelter downtown Kingston this financial year.

The project is the latest in a series of initiatives by Government to strengthen services for the homeless population.

“Over the last decade, we have been building a growing number of drop-in shelters, night shelters [and] transitional shelters, to give the vulnerable Jamaicans security…space where they can shelter, where we provide nutritious food [and] medical care,” Mr. Mckenzie said.

He was making his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (June 3).

The Minister noted that a national survey on homelessness, completed by the Board of Supervision in partnership with the Social Development Commission (SDC) in the last quarter of 2025, found that there were approximately 2,261 homeless people in Jamaica.

He said 52.5 per cent of the total number of homeless people are located within the Corporate Area.

He noted that the situation is not unique to Jamaica as there is a global pattern of homelessness, especially in urban centres.

“Homelessness is rising in countries across the world, whether they are classified as developed, underdeveloped, or developing countries. The UN-Habitat Report of 2026 indicates that there are 318 million homeless people living across the globe,” Mr. McKenzie pointed out.

He noted that the World Population Review similarly shows that homelessness has grown significantly in Latin America and the Caribbean, affecting an estimated eight million people.

“It has grown by 125 per cent in North America, affecting 1.7 million people. More than 1.2 million people are homeless in Western Europe. Asia is estimated to have over 80 million homeless people. On the African continent, it is estimated that there are about 54 million homeless,” the Minister informed.

He noted that in Jamaica, the Government continues to take measures to take care of homeless citizens, citing the completion of phase two of the Desmond McKenzie Transitional Centre for the Homeless in the last financial year, providing accommodation for 80 homeless persons at the new wing.

He also highlighted the extension of the St. Thomas night shelter, which was completed at a cost of $12 million, and completion of the Portland Drop-in Centre and Night Shelter at a cost of $55 million.

Minister McKenzie added that persons in the shelters who can work, are provided with employment.

“There are a number of persons who have been employed by the KSMAC [Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation and the St. James Municipal Corporation. These are homeless people that we are taking care of. We’re not only putting a roof over their head, but we are making them into worthwhile Jamaicans,” he said.

The Minister appealed for a greater sense of compassion towards homeless persons, strongly condemning any acts of violence against them.

“Let me say to my fellow Jamaicans, let us have compassion and care for these people,” he urged.