Gov’t eyes prefabricated housing to relocate hurricane evacuees, homeless

The Ministry of Local Government is looking to prefabricated housing solutions as an alternative arrangement to relocate hurricane evacuees, particularly those in schools, as well as members of the homeless population.

Portfolio Minister Desmond McKenzie told a Hurricane Melissa special press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday that an inspection of these prefabricated solutions is to be conducted today, with an expectation that they will be put in place within the next two weeks.

McKenzie said these solutions are being targeted, initially, for the infirmaries in Trelawny and Westmoreland, which were damaged by the hurricane, forcing residents to relocate to shelters.

He said the goal is to relocate these infirmary residents from shelters to prefabricated solutions, thereby freeing up space for schools to resume classes.

McKenzie noted that the Government has been putting alternative arrangements in place to facilitate more people moving out of shelters.

He said three more shelters have closed, and residents have gone back home.

The local government minister said he is hoping that there will be a significant reduction this week in the number of persons in shelters.

In his update at the press briefing, head of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Commander Alvin Gayle, said 113 shelters remain open with over 1,400 persons following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica a month ago.

Meanwhile, McKenzie indicated that the Government is giving support to the country’s homeless population, which he said has increased since the storm.

He said provisions have been made in the critical parishes of St Elizabeth, Hanover, St James, and Westmoreland to house the homeless.

He said some persons will be transferred to some of the prefabricated housing solutions that are going to be put in place.

McKenzie said the Social Development Commission has done a survey of the homeless population.

He said of concern from the exercise is that it was found that some persons pretended to be homeless so as to benefit from food and other relief supplies.

He spoke out against the action, saying that it undermines accurate data collection and relief activities.

He encouraged those in need to instead utilise drop-in facilities.

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