KINGSTON, Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced a $315 million grant for the most vulnerable households to assist with repairs to roofs and other damage caused by Hurricane Beryl on July 3 last year.

The allocation is broken down at $5 million per constituency.

“The experience of Hurricane Beryl has served as a harsh reminder of climate change and the importance of resilience in our infrastructure,” Holness said Tuesday, as he made the announcement in the House of Representatives.

He noted that many families were left exposed when their roofs were damaged or totally destroyed.

The prime minister also noted that houses that were constructed to the requirements of the building code or those with slab (concrete) roofs fared much better, facing less dislocation as a result of the passage of the hurricane.

The prime minister said that despite distributing almost 14,000 recovery grants following the category 4 hurricane, there are many households that were impacted by the heavy rainfall due to the unusual weather pattern between July and December, with leaky roofs being a major problem.

Holness said the amount to be allocated per beneficiary is at the discretion of the Member of Parliament, however, he said grants should be in the range of $70,000 – $100,000 to make meaningful improvements to roofs, windows and sideboardings “to ensure that more shelters can withstand the next heavy rainfall”.

Importantly, people who have already benefited from the hurricane relief grant will not be able to benefit from this allocation. Holness said checks will be made to ensure there is no duplication.