$9.5 billion disbursed under ROOFS programme

The Government has disbursed $9.5 billion in grants to beneficiaries of the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) programme.

ROOFS is part of the overall Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP) and has been allocated an initial $10 billion to assist households assessed as having sustained minor, major, or severe damage from Hurricane Melissa.

"We have completed the payments to all eligible, verified beneficiaries. Does that mean that the persons listening who have not gotten, have been forgotten? No. What it means is that for one reason or the other, you are still in the process of being evaluated up to verification," said Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr, during yesterday's Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House.

Charles noted that in some cases, separate assessments were initiated for the same household by different household members.

"That now has to be pulled for further investigation because you now have two separate names on one GPS location and, therefore, it is blocked from being paid out," he said. He explained that in other cases, one individual has been assessed for more than one household.

"We're using a modernised system which is digitised. The system will identify your name and credentials and it will pop up as one name for two separate GPS locations. You have just caused yourself to be removed and placed in the batch for further investigation," Charles explained.

The minister shared that there are three principles that have been critical in determining how the Government has distributed support to repair and rebuild homes.

"The most important principle is one benefit per household and that's not one benefit under ROOFS. It's one benefit under the Shelter Recovery Programme. So, if you are a participant in the government-led repair, meaning the JDF [Jamaica Defence Force] has come and fixed your roof, you should not be a participant in the ROOFS Programme and vice versa," he said. Charles said the Government also prioritised severity and vulnerability in the distribution of the grants.

The minister informed that most of the $9.5 billion disbursed, so far, has gone to individuals in the severe and major categories. Only $1 billion has been allocated to those classified as minor.