Cash grants to be distributed next month for more than 400 churches severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa

419 churches, which were severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa, are slated to receive cash grants from the Government next month.

Local Government Minister, Desmond McKenzie, gave the update during the Kingston and St. Andrew Governance Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston today.

The grants will be paid out under the Government’s $75 million Community Church Clean-up and Restoration initiative, which forms part of the post-Hurricane Melissa National Clean-Up Programme.

Mr. McKenzie indicated that approximately 6,000 churches across Jamaica were affected during the passage of the hurricane in October 2025.

He said recognising this fact, the Government, through the Social Development Commission (SDC), conducted assessments across the most affected parishes to determine the levels of damage sustained.

He noted that the handover will take place in St. Elizabeth, which has the bulk of the churches impacted.

The SDC recently indicated that it received applications from churches in St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. James, Trelawny and Hanover, with the largest concentration of submissions coming from St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland and St. James.

The assessment of the religious institutions was supported by the Municipal Corporations and various community groups.