KINGSTON, Jamaica — Approximately 924 containerised housing units are on the island as the Government presses ahead with its temporary housing relief programme to assist families displaced by Hurricane Melissa.

The units are being stored at locations including Spanish Town, St Catherine, Luana in St Elizabeth, and Montpelier, St James, under the supervision of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), said Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Robert Montague.

An additional 500 units are expected within the next three weeks as part of a larger order of 2,500 units.

Montague gave the update during an inspection of model container homes at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) storage facility in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, on Tuesday, May 19.

The minister, who is responsible for land titling and settlements, said the housing relief programme is intended to provide “some level of comfort” to Jamaicans whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane.

He noted that several housing solutions are being pursued, including containerised units purchased by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, units donated by the Government of China, and 300 wooden housing units to be supplied by the Red Cross.

He explained that initial assessments suggested that some 12,000 families had been severely affected by Hurricane Melissa, but after reviews conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and municipal authorities, the figure has been reduced significantly.

“We are now down to approximately 2,500 families that are adversely affected, destroyed or built in areas that are not safe,” Montague said.

He noted that the revised figure reflects the fact that many families have already rebuilt through insurance settlements, support from relatives, community assistance, and the government roofing programmes.

Municipal authorities also identified duplicate reports from households, which the minister stressed were not necessarily fraudulent but resulted from multiple persons within the same household filing separate damage reports.

He noted that the relocation was being guided by strict instructions from Prime Minister Andrew Holness, that displaced residents should not be relocated to environmentally vulnerable or unsafe areas.

He informed that the units acquired by the Government are being equipped with water tanks and solar generators to improve living conditions for families.

He informed that beneficiaries will receive grants to construct bases for the units with assistance from community members, while municipal authorities will inspect and certify the structures before installation.

He also noted that the National Housing Trust (NHT) has agreed to acquire two tractor heads with lift arms to assist with unloading and installing the collapsible units, which were specially designed to reduce shipping costs.

Montague said that the Government intends to retain some units for future disasters, while any excess units may eventually be redirected to the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) or infirmaries to house social cases currently occupying hospital beds unnecessarily.

The minister expressed gratitude to the Government and people of China, the Red Cross, the JDF, and Jamaicans who assisted neighbours and relatives following the hurricane.

— JIS