Homeless Shelter to Be Constructed in Falmouth

Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, broke ground for the construction of a state-of-the art homeless shelter in Falmouth, Trelawny, on July 8.

The facility, which will be built at a cost of $25 million, will have the capacity to house 20 persons.

The shelter, the first of its kind outside the Corporate Area, will provide temporary shelter, meals, and bathroom amenities for the approximately 25 homeless persons in the parish. It is slated for completion by the end of 2021.

In his address, Mr. McKenzie reaffirmed Government’s commitment to the homeless population, through the continued provision of holistic care and development of appropriate infrastructure to accommodate them.

“We are doing this because it is our responsibility. Many of these persons have contributed significantly to the growth and development of Jamaica, but something went wrong along the way,” he said.

“Our response to the homeless population has been wide. We have partnered with Red Stripe, Lasco, GraceKennedy and we will continue to partner with the churches and the private sector to provide a basis for these people to survive,” Mr. McKenzie added.

He announced that an additional eight homeless shelters will be built across the island within the next two years.

There are more than 3,000 homeless persons across the island.

For her part, Member of Parliament for Trelawny South and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, welcomed the move to build the facility in the parish.

“The Government continues to place emphasis on the less fortunate in the population – the people who cannot afford to make the plans they need to. We thank the Government for caring and for putting their words into action and demonstrating that we do care for all Jamaicans, particularly those of us who are less fortunate,” she said.