121 Manchester Residents Receive Land Titles as Registration Drive Continues

Mandeville, Manchester, 10 July 2026

One hundred and twenty-one Manchester residents have received certificates of title for land many of their families have occupied for generations, as the Government presses on with its goal of getting every parcel in Jamaica properly registered.

The titles were handed over by the National Land Agency (NLA) at a ceremony at the Garden Hotel in Mandeville under the Systematic Land Registration (SLR) Programme.

How the programme works

The SLR Programme is aimed at people who have lived on and used a piece of land without challenge for at least 12 years. It helps them turn that long occupation into a registered legal title.

Arlene Williams, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, told the gathering that the Government is steadily moving the programme forward. She argued that owning land on paper allows families to use it as security for mortgages and business finance, and cuts down on quarrels over inherited property. She also linked clear ownership to wider social stability and efforts to reduce crime and violence.

By 1 December, 9,577 titles had been distributed under the programme. Close to 6,000 of those went to landholders in St Elizabeth, including more than 700 in December 2025.

Generations without paperwork

Rhoda Moy Crawford, Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, noted that many recipients had farmed, built on and invested in their plots for years without any formal proof that the land was theirs. “Today, that changes,” she told them.

She listed the practical gains of a title: access to loans, the ability to improve or extend a house, investment in farms and small businesses, and an easier path to passing property on to relatives.

Mario Mitchell, councillor for the Bellefield Division, pointed to the problems families face when inherited land has never been documented, particularly when it must be handed down. He said he hopes the programme will reach thousands more residents across all four of Manchester’s constituencies and its 15 divisions.

What it means for landholders

For families sitting on untitled land, a registered title is often the missing piece that turns a plot into a usable asset. Lenders generally want clear ownership before approving a mortgage or home improvement loan, and a title makes sale, transfer and inheritance far more straightforward. Residents who believe they qualify through long, undisturbed occupation should keep an eye out for the programme reaching their community.