Gov’t Disburses $2b in Grants Under ROOFS Programme
By: , February 12, 2026
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, delivers the 2026/27 Throne Speech, during the Ceremonial Opening of Parliament at Gordon House on Thursday (February 12).The Full Story
The Government has, so far, disbursed $2 billion in grants under the Restoration of Owner and Occupant Family Shelter (ROOFS) Programme, Jamaica’s largest housing-recovery initiative, to date.
This was disclosed by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, while delivering the Throne Speech during the 2026/27 Ceremonial Opening of Parliament at Gordon House on Thursday (February 12).
The ROOFS initiative, a component of the Shelter Recovery Programme, has an initial allocation of $10 billion.
The Governor-General further disclosed that, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the Government executed one of the largest and fastest social response operations in Jamaica’s history.
He stated that more than 75,000 damage assessments were completed within the first 100 days, rising to more than 90,000 by the first week of February.
These were conducted using the upgraded Jamaica Household Damage, Impact and Needs Assessment (JHDINA) Lite platform and a real-time national dashboard, supported by more than 700 volunteers, including 400 from ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), and citizen groups.
Meanwhile, the Governor-General informed that digital transformation also continued to expand access, accountability, and inclusion.
“The ‘AmAlive’ application is scheduled for launch early in the new fiscal year to enable secure electronic life verification for pensioners. Additionally, the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities launched the ‘I Am Able’ digital platform,” he stated.
Addressing legislation, the Governor-General indicated that the Occupational Safety and Health Bill has moved through successive drafting stages and is scheduled to proceed to Parliament during the 2026/27 legislative year.
“Looking ahead, the Government will advance unemployment insurance legislation through amendments to the National Insurance Act and related laws, the development of a national productivity-measurement framework, and the creation of an Occupational Safety and Health risk-management toolkit,” he stated.
