St. James to Get New Transitional Centre to Support the Parish’s Most Vulnerable Residents

St. James is set to benefit from a new transitional centre designed to support the needs of some of the parish’s most vulnerable residents.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, made the disclosure while addressing the official opening of a kitchen facility at the St. James Infirmary on May 2.

He said the proposed transitional centre forms part of a broader government initiative to provide sustainable support for vulnerable individuals transitioning from hospitals, prisons, or State care.

“It (building transitional centres) is the intention of the [Government], working with the NHT (National Housing Trust), which I’m going to be speaking of in Parliament when I make my [2025/26] Sectoral [Debate] presentation… [in terms of] what the outlook will be as we try to tackle homelessness in the country, especially for those persons living on our streets,” Minister McKenzie added.

Transitional centres provide critical support for individuals navigating different life stages, whether reintegrating into society after incarceration, recovering from medical treatment, or seeking stability after experiencing homelessness.

These facilities often provide housing, employment assistance, and other social services to help individuals regain independence.

Minister McKenzie indicated that Kingston has already seen success with its first transitional centre, which is currently being expanded to accommodate an additional 100 people with a second wing.

He said the St. James facility would replicate this model to bring similar services to Western Jamaica.

Meanwhile, Montego Bay Mayor, Councillor Richard Vernon, stated that land is available for the Centre’s development, adding that discussions are already under way to determine the best path forward in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

In addition, he said plans are under way for a restoration project at the St. James Infirmary.

“We… are in dialogue with our partners from the St. James Health Department to restore a section of the infirmary that is now regarded as abandoned, so that we can treat with the social cases at Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH),” the Mayor said.

CRH continues to manage social cases – individuals who are homeless or abandoned and require long-term care.

Councillor Vernon expressed optimism about the partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which aims to expand infirmary services to better accommodate these individuals.

“Our mission is to reduce the number of homeless persons we have,” he underscored.