Jamaica’s National Housing Trust (NHT) has so far paid out $324 million in housing grants to 810 applicants under the Hurricane Relief Grant initiative, Managing Director Martin Miller revealed on January 14 during a sitting of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament.
Miller said the NHT has received 2,573 applications as of January 13, with 995 processed to date. He provided a breakdown of applications by parish, noting that 617 came from St. James, 225 from Manchester, 303 from Westmoreland, and 794 from St. Elizabeth, where 360 applications have been processed and 251 payments made.
He acknowledged that the agency faced challenges, particularly in rural areas such as Westmoreland, in reaching affected residents and verifying ownership of damaged properties. “If you are from rural Jamaica, you’ll recognise that houses pass down from one generation to another generation, so you may not be in possession of a title,” Miller explained. The NHT has adopted alternative verification methods, including endorsements from Justices of the Peace or recognised community leaders, to confirm applicants’ claims.
Miller emphasized the importance of ensuring applications are genuine, citing instances where individuals claimed grants for properties they did not occupy. He noted that once all documentation is received, NHT teams aim to conduct site visits and verifications within three days, completing validation and submitting for payment in less than a week.
The initiative reflects the NHT’s ongoing efforts to support Jamaicans affected by hurricanes while maintaining rigorous verification processes to ensure proper distribution of funds.
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