AS Jamaicans work to rebuild their houses in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon is reminding residents that they are still required to obtain a building permit.

Since the Category 5 storm pommelled the western section of the island, affecting about 90,000 households and causing an estimated US$8.8 billion in physical damage to Jamaica, with more than 120,000 buildings having lost their roofs, many householders have begun repairing damaged structures and some are transitioning from wooden dwellings to more resilient concrete homes.

Mayor Vernon said he supports the public’s desire for greater safety and durability, but he emphasised that all construction must follow established procedures, noting that “the requirement to obtain a building permit has not been waived”.

“These rules remain in place because they are essential to ensuring that all new residential structures meet national building codes and safety standards. While we understand the urgency of rebuilding, adherence to these regulations protects families and communities from future risks,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Local authorities must approve building plans for major changes, including demolitions, additions, and new construction. The process is often lengthy, with a requirement for multiple documents. However, the mayor shared that to balance urgency with compliance, the St James Municipal Corporation has streamlined the permit process and increased technical support to residents. He said the corporation is “not averse to adjusting fees to facilitate this shift”.

“Additionally, where emergency repairs or temporary works have been undertaken, follow-up inspections will be conducted to confirm that permanent structures align with established codes. We welcome the shift toward more resilient concrete homes, but the rules remain — permits and building codes are essential to protect lives and property,” he stressed.

The municipal corporation is also fast-tracking building permits for repairs to hotels to help the tourism sector get back up and running. Vernon said the corporation has engaged members of the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA) and is awaiting applications.

He noted that before Hurricane Melissa ravaged the island, the municipal corporation was working to expedite applications and had made significant progress. More than 200 stop orders were also issued by the corporation six months before Hurricane Melissa.

“We have always been mindful of the enforcement of building codes and adherence to the development order,” Vernon told the Sunday Observer.

Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie has declared that the rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Melissa must be done effectively and in accordance with Jamaica’s National Building Code. Speaking at a clean-up exercise at Santa Cruz Infirmary, he said greater effort will be made in 2026 to ensure builders adhere to codes.

“Our building code has stood up, but there needs to be a lot more, and the country must be prepared to work with us when we introduce measures which will be done to preserve life and property,” McKenzie said last Thursday.

“This thing where people just get two sheets of zinc and some ply and put down a house in the middle of a riverbed, and when you talk to them, they say they are poor; the time has come when we must forget about whether you are poor or rich, because disasters don’t know nobody,” he added.

The hardest-hit Hurricane Melissa-affected parishes have been stated as Trelawny, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Manchester, and St Ann. St James is listed as the parish with the most dwellings across all the affected parishes, with 70,686.

VERNON…the requirement to obtain a building permit has not been waived