Opposition slams Government over undistributed Hurricane Melissa container houses

Opposition Spokesman on Housing and Sustainable Living, Senator Floyd Morris has condemned what he says is the government’s failure to distribute the containerised houses intended for citizens affected by Hurricane Melissa.

He said this is despite repeated assurances that the units had arrived in the island.

Senator Morris said it is unacceptable that nine months after Hurricane Melissa destroyed the homes of thousands of Jamaicans, not a single family has received one of the 5,000 containerised houses the government committed to purchasing.

He noted that the country was initially told the houses would arrive in January 2026, only for the government to repeatedly revise its timeline.

Senator Morris described the situation as a disgrace.

Senator Morris added that the government should not lose focus on the matter at hand, which is the housing plight of people who lost their homes during Hurricane Melissa.

Last month, during his sectoral debate presentation, Minister with responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements Robert Montague said 1,424 housing units were in the island.

He said 900 of the units are being held by the Jamaica Defence Force in western Jamaica and that up to 2,500 people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Melissa will require the housing units.