The crushing repercussions of Hurricane Melissa—which devastated several communities in western Jamaica last month—are becoming more evident with each passing day. While many people in Jamaica and the global community have responded with tremendous kindness and compassion, supplying food, water, clothing, and other vital necessities to victims, one urgent need remains and poses a major challenge: shelter for thousands of displaced residents.
According to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), about 146,000 residential structures sustained major damage, including the loss of roofs and walls. The disaster directly affected 90,000 families—more than 500,000 people—and the cost of this damage is estimated at up to US$7 billion.
Repairing and replacing these homes will be a monumental task.
Debris removal alone is massive. Millions of tons of materials from damaged buildings must be cleared before reconstruction can even begin. Rebuilding at scale will require significant financial resources. Although Jamaica has some fiscal buffers and the international community has stepped up with substantial assistance, the total damage remains enormous—equivalent to an estimated 28–32% of Jamaica’s insurance systems. Many homeowners lack property insurance, and even where coverage exists, insurers may struggle to process claims or may not cover the full cost of constructing more resilient, hurricane-proof homes.
Replacing Jamaica’s housing stock is not simply a matter of erecting new structures. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink how the country builds, lives, and prepares for climate-related disasters. With strong public policy, inclusive funding mechanisms, resilient design, and community-driven reconstruction, Jamaica can rebuild in ways that make homes safer, more sustainable, and more equitable.
If executed well, this effort could significantly reduce vulnerability to future storms while also stimulating economic benefits. But it will require political will, major investment, and close coordination among government, civil society, and international partners.
In the meantime, there is a deeply concerning question: What happens to people who lack property insurance or cannot provide credible identification to prove the destroyed home was theirs?
When people lose homes in a disaster and lack formal documentation, the challenge becomes both humanitarian and administrative.
Much will depend on local and central government support for those who have no insurance or cannot verify ownership. Some steps that can be taken include:
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Local leaders—parish councillors, MPs, and churches—certifying that someone lived at a location prior to the storm. This approach was used effectively in Dominica after Hurricane Maria and in The Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.
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Using pre-storm and aerial images to confirm that a structure existed on a specific plot, assess the level of destruction, and match residents to damaged homes.
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Ensuring that people have valid identification to receive any substantial assistance, especially financial aid. The government could expedite the issuance of free, temporary IDs and deploy mobile ID units to affected parishes.
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Verifying occupancy or ownership by accessing TAJ property tax rolls, National Land Agency parcel maps, and electoral address records.
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Issuing “Disaster Occupancy Certificates,” a method successfully used in other countries, to confirm someone lived in a structure that was damaged or destroyed. These certificates can allow access to rebuilding grants, loans, and NGO assistance even without formal titles.
In rural Jamaica—as in many Caribbean nations—many residents live on family land, informal settlements, or plots without clear titles. Many of these homes were not built to withstand hurricanes and suffered severe damage. Some are now uninhabitable, leaving former occupants desperate for housing.
Authorities will need to support these residents with financial grants based on occupancy rather than ownership. Assistance should go to people verified by credible community and government teams. The government should also collaborate with NGOs like Food for the Poor, the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity, which have extensive experience rebuilding homes without requiring formal land titles.
Rebuilding damaged homes will be extraordinarily expensive. Fortunately, Jamaica has a catastrophe bond that can help fund recovery. The government must also continue leveraging international aid, development financing, and concessional loans—especially for low-income housing—and encourage public-private partnerships to support resilient housing development.
