Campbell: $787m ROOFS allocation in Westmoreland undermined by transportation burden
Published:Friday | March 6, 2026 | 12:07 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Dr Dayton Campbell, the member of parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, says the Government’s Restoration of Owner and Occupant Family Shelter (ROOFS) Programme is poorly conceived, logistically, as some hurricane victims are forced to travel long distances and absorb hefty transportation costs to access building material.
The programme, with an initial allocation of J$10 billion, was launched as Jamaica’s largest housing-recovery initiative in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The programme is a central component of the national Shelter Recovery Programme.
To date, the Government has disbursed approximately $5 billion in grants, with individual beneficiaries receiving up to $500,000 to repair or rebuild their homes.
The programme, which is being administered through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, is intended to provide direct financial support to families whose houses were damaged or destroyed, ensuring that recovery efforts restore both shelter and dignity.
In Westmoreland, one of the hardest-hit parishes, 4,741 residents are set to benefit from the ROOFS programme, with a total allocation of approximately $787.5 million. This support is critical, given the widespread devastation.
However, Campbell is insisting that the current structure undermines the effectiveness of the initiative because of the cost attached to benefiting from the programme.
“Some persons have been given a grant of $500,000, but then they have to travel all the way to Savanna-la-Mar to get the supplies, and it is costing them almost $100,000 just in transportation alone, so they can only get $400,000 worth of goods,” said Campbell while addressing the official launch of a major housing-recovery initiative in his constituency, which saw newly constructed homes being handed over to residents in Bethel Town on Tuesday.
Campbell is urging the authorities to rethink the logistics of the initiative by allowing beneficiaries to purchase materials from local hardware stores within their communities, arguing that such a move would, among other things, reduce transportation costs, maximise the value of government grants, strengthen local businesses, keep funds circulating within the constituency, and ensure faster and more efficient rebuilding for families in need.
“That is not good execution of a programme because if you execute it where they can’t get it from the hardware that is in their local geographic space, then it means that more of the funding would go towards actually getting the items that they need as opposed to the transportation to bring the items because it will be closer,” he said.
Campbell further noted that while the ROOFS programme provides critical support, its current structure undermines its effectiveness.
With more than 5,000 homes destroyed by Hurricane Melissa, Campbell stressed that every dollar must be used wisely to restore housing and dignity for affected families.
He also tied the issue to his own project, the Adopt-a-Family Initiative, which is seeking to build resilient, turnkey homes through private sponsorships and community partnerships.
“Recovery can be more equitable and sustainable by combining government aid with locally driven solutions,” he said.
Campbell also reaffirmed his commitment to lobbying for improvements to national recovery programmes while ensuring transparency in community-led initiatives.
“We want to incorporate local talent and local suppliers so that both the families and the constituency benefit,” he said, referencing plans to incorporate local masons, carpenters and others into the new housing project across the constituency.