OFFICIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT REQUIRED FOR HURRICANE MELISSA HOUSING REPAIR OR RECONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE
At the Post Cabinet Press Briefing, Wednesday, December 10, 2025, it was clarified that only structures that have been formally assessed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) will be eligible to receive a Government of Jamaica grant for roof repairs or other reconstruction support.
This measure is intended to ensure fairness, accountability, and the proper targeting of limited public resources to households most in need.
Assessments are ongoing across affected parishes, and the Government is urging citizens to cooperate fully with assessment teams. Approximately 40,144 homes have been assessed up to December 9, 2025. This is nearly doubled the number of assessments conducted in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
Citizens are encouraged to self-report damage to their homes to the MLSS via the report mechanism on the Ministry of Labour’s website (https://mlss.gov.jm/hurricane-melissa-reporting-form/) if they have not had an assessment. This information will help the Ministry to prioritise and plan especially in heavily impacted communities.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is seeking additional volunteers to complete assessments within the next few weeks. Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been asked to identify assessors to speed up the assessment process.
If any citizen is able to volunteer as an assessor, they are asked to indicate interest via email at [email protected].
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security in collaboration with its partners will be accelerating the national damage assessment exercise in the coming weeks.