KINGSTON, Jamaica —Prime Minister Andrew Holness has cautioned beneficiaries of the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) initiative to remain vigilant against individuals who may seek to exploit the shelter assistance programme.

“We have to be absolutely careful that there is no hijacking of a programme like this, that could have persons being caught paying for receiving the grant, for example. There are such scams out there where an unsuspecting person may be caught up in a scheme [with offers such as] ‘let me help you to get the $500,000 grant [available under the initiative]’,” he reasoned, while highlighting the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and warning of its capacity to generate scenarios that are not true.

Holness was speaking during the launch of the Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP), held at the Office of the Prime Minister on January 15.

The programme, spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, aims to restore safe, habitable living conditions through six initiatives, including its flagship project, ROOFS.

Funded by an initial investment of $10 billion, the ROOFS initiative provides tiered grants of $75,000, $200,000 and $500,000, allocated based on the extent of damage sustained by each beneficiary’s home. Disbursement of the grants is scheduled to commence at the end of January.

Prime Minister Holness reiterated that the ministry remains the sole agency responsible for administering the programme.

“There is no intermediary…I want to make that point clear. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is not hiring anyone, any agent, any intermediary to help you to get the grant. So, if anyone comes to you, or if you see something on any of the social media platforms suggesting this, please dismiss it,” Holness emphasised.

To be eligible for the ROOFS programme, individuals whose homes were damaged by the hurricane will undergo assessment and verification by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

In addition, a self‑reporting tool has been introduced to alert the ministry and fast‑track the assessment process.

-JIS