Gov’t to Disburse First SRP Grants for Hurricane Melissa Victims by Month End

The Government is on track to disburse the first set of monetary grants to citizens impacted by Hurricane Melissa, under the Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP), by the end of this month.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, confirmed the announcement during a post‑Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday (January 28).

Launched on January 15, the SRP is a coordinated national initiative designed to support individuals and families whose homes were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28 last year.

“There was an indication that the first payments… would take place by the last week in January. This is the last week in January… and I confirmed with the Minister [of Labour and Social Security] this morning that we are on track to make first payments this week,” Senator Morris Dixon indicated.

She congratulated the Ministry for its efforts to ensure that the payment timeline will be met.

Under the SRP framework, individuals may access support through six initiatives: the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) grant, government‑led repair, partnership‑led repair, National Housing Trust (NHT) support, deployment of modular housing solutions, and relocation or regularisation.

The flagship initiative, ROOFS, has been allocated an initial $10 billion to assist households assessed as having sustained minor, major, or severe damage.

Households assessed with minor damage will receive support of up to $75,000, while those with major damage will be eligible for up to $200,000, and households with severe damage may access up to $500,000.

Grant payments under the ROOFS initiative will be facilitated through multiple channels to accommodate the diverse circumstances of beneficiaries.

These include digital vouchers, prepaid or payment cards, direct deposits to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, and approved remittance‑based mechanisms, with cheques to be issued only in exceptional circumstances.