KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has issued a stern public warning to citizens applying for the government’s hurricane relief housing program, alerting them to sophisticated scams that seek to exploit vulnerable beneficiaries. The caution was delivered during the official launch of the Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP) at the Office of the Prime Minister on January 15.
The Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) initiative, a cornerstone of the SRP, offers tiered financial grants of J$75,000, J$200,000, and J$500,000 to homeowners based on the assessed damage from recent hurricanes. With an initial funding pool of J$10 billion, the program is designed to restore safe and habitable living conditions for those affected.
In his address, Prime Minister Holness highlighted the growing threat of fraudsters using advanced technological means, including artificial intelligence, to create deceptive scenarios. He specifically warned against intermediaries falsely offering to ‘help’ citizens secure the grants for a fee. “We have to be absolutely careful that there is no hijacking of a programme like this,” Holness stated, emphasizing that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is the sole administrator of the grants and does not employ any external agents or intermediaries.
Eligibility for the ROOFS program requires official assessment and verification by the Ministry. To streamline this process, a self-reporting tool has been introduced, allowing citizens to alert the ministry directly and expedite damage assessments. The first grant disbursements are scheduled to begin by the end of January.
The government urges all applicants to disregard any unsolicited offers of assistance on social media or in person and to report such attempts directly to the authorities.