Opposition Spokesperson on Social Protection and Social Transformation, Dr Angela Brown Burke, has raised serious concerns about ongoing failures within the Government’s ROOFS programme, warning that thousands of Jamaicans affected by Hurricane Melissa remain trapped in uncertainty nearly seven months after the disaster.

Speaking during her Sectoral Presentation in the House of Representatives yesterday, Brown Burke said the reality facing many families stands in stark contrast to the Government’s optimistic public updates. She argued that many people have still not been assessed and that others are being forced to spend money they do not have travelling repeatedly to parish offices in search of answers, only to leave without meaningful information about their applications or eligibility.

Brown Burke outlined what she described as systemic failures within the programme, including faulty geotagging, missing or inaccurate personal information, inconsistent damage classifications, cancelled payments, and weak communication systems that prevent beneficiaries from properly tracking their applications. She warned that these issues are having devastating consequences for vulnerable families still living without adequate shelter and struggling to rebuild their lives after the hurricane.

“The longer these delays continue, the greater the erosion of public trust,” Brown Burke stated during her presentation. “Inefficiency that prolongs suffering is not simply administrative failure. It is a failure of responsibility.”

The Opposition Spokesperson called for urgent corrective action, including the establishment of a fully operational online portal and toll-free hotline, the introduction of verifiable assessment receipts or control numbers, decentralised disbursement systems, and transparent parish-level reporting on recovery efforts. She also criticised the Government for failing to engage Members of Parliament earlier in the process, arguing that meaningful collaboration could have helped address many of the challenges now facing affected communities.

Brown Burke maintained that disaster recovery must be rooted in dignity, transparency, accountability, and accessibility, particularly when vulnerable Jamaicans are depending on the State for support.