25 St. James Residents Gain Homes Through $3.5M Adopt-A-House Pilot

Twenty-five residents of St. James now have access to housing following the completion of the Mayor of Montego Bay’s ‘Adopt-A-House’ pilot programme, launched in response to the devastation caused across the parish by Hurricane Melissa.

The $3.5-million pilot phase was officially launched at the St. James Municipal Corporation in February, through a partnership involving the Community Dreams Foundation (CDF), the Mayor’s Charity Fund, and the Rotary Club of Montego Bay.

The CDF developed a comprehensive digital platform to coordinate hurricane disaster response across multiple stages, including immediate relief such as emergency needs and care packages.

The portal enables local and international donors to contribute directly to the Mayor’s Charity Fund or to specific houses of their choice through secure wire transactions.

The Rotary Club joined the initiative, leveraging its international membership to mobilise donations and accelerate the programme, which aims to reach at least 500 homes in St. James.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, welcomes the initiative and expresses gratitude for the partnership with the CDF.

He expresses the hope that the programme will be expanded to benefit Jamaicans on a wider scale.

“Based on Jamaica’s position and the trajectory of climate change and what we have to deal with these days, I would say ensure that the rest of the programme is on alert. [The CDF has] given of themselves to the city of Montego Bay, and I am anticipating that they want to go all over Jamaica,” he states.

This innovative approach not only enhances transparency but also fosters stronger connections between donors and recipients, allowing supporters to witness the tangible impact of their contributions first-hand.

“As you donate, these persons benefit and it is there for you to see on the website. Persons will be asked to upload their photos… [of] the damaged houses, and those who want to donate will be able to see it and pick which house they want to donate to,” Councillor Vernon says, noting that the website will show how people are benefiting in real time.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CDF, Dion Richardson, says the platform significantly enhances accessibility.

“They can get direct access to the Adopt-A-House programme and share their story, be able to put the house [details] directly on the site… in a way that is as easy as possible, without too many roadblocks,” he informs.

Users can create profiles to access resources and updates or submit information without setting up a profile.

Meanwhile, Councillor Vernon commends the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, along with the Social Development Commission (SDC), for undertaking the data-collection process that strategically informed the project’s launch.

He notes that residents in several communities were initially perturbed by the visits from the departments but observed that the outcomes of those are now being gradually implemented.

“It’s a process, and we have to appreciate the process. It allows us to do an organised distribution. I know that when it begins, the Ministry’s office will be under strain,” the Mayor says, pointing out that donations made through the website will be disbursed via cheque payouts, as no banking information will be collected online.

Councillor Vernon informs that the system ensures transparency and efficiency in resource distribution, utilising a vulnerability matrix to deliver targeted aid.

He urges residents to be selfless in a vulnerable time, noting that individuals who have already applied for assistance through the Ministry will be “flagged” if they also apply to the Adopt-A-House Programme.

Meanwhile, the Mayor implores donors to provide an outpouring of support for the initiative.

“Now that we have the website set up and everything streamlined, we’re going to push for donations, because we have been reserving that part of it until we have everything in place so it can be properly streamlined,” Councillor Vernon states.

Among the beneficiaries are Karen Smith, a resident of St. James, and Jherron Hylton, a sixth-form student at Cornwall College in Montego Bay, the parish capital.

Ms. Smith tells JIS News that the project has given her an opportunity to advance.

“I really do appreciate what I’ve gotten. I accept it with great pleasure because, without it, I wouldn’t be [able] to continue to move forward with my family,” she says.

Jherron expresses heartfelt gratitude for the initiative, noting that it has provided meaningful support to his family.

He adds that the hurricane’s impact caused extensive physical and psychological hardship for himself and his community, emphasising that the support he received from both his community and schoolmates helped him persevere through it all.

“As a student of Cornwall College, we are men of might. In times of real difficulty, we usually tend to pull together as a community to help each other. Yes… I was impacted by the hurricane… my education was impacted. But efforts by my community around me have helped me to bounce back even stronger, even greater,” Jherron shares.

He indicates that he is pursuing his educational goals, with aspirations to study neurosurgery at the University of the West Indies (UWI).

For more information, or to contribute to the initiative, please visit cdreamsjamaica.org.