Kingston, Jamaica, 18 August 2026
The Government intends to design a dedicated programme for Jamaica’s irregularly settled communities, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has said, pledging to formalise existing informal settlements while stopping new ones from taking root.
Announced at a St Ann handover
The Prime Minister made the commitment on 14 August while handing over a house under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) in St Ann. He used the occasion to address the recent demolition of homes at Cooper’s Pen in Trelawny, which has stirred public argument about land, eviction and the responsibilities of the State.
He said the new effort would follow the same approach the Government took in building the NSHP, with the aim of regularising squatter communities and preventing further informal occupation of land.
A firm line on informality
Dr Holness was blunt about where the Government stands. Squatting, he said, is wrong and informal settlement is not encouraged. At the same time, he argued that every Jamaican should have an equal chance to access land and housing, and cautioned that any response must avoid setting a precedent the country cannot sustain. “We have to speak straight,” he said, adding that the Government could not send mixed messages on the issue.
For the families affected at Cooper’s Pen, he said support had been mobilised through the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
The social housing record
The Prime Minister described the NSHP as a highly successful platform on which the Government is now building. Run through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, the programme has so far delivered 349 housing solutions, giving more than 1,600 vulnerable Jamaicans in 57 constituencies safe and resilient homes. Around 65 more units are at different stages of construction across the island.
What it means for landowners and residents
No details have yet been given on how the new programme will work, who will qualify or how long it will take, and those details will matter. For families living on land they do not own, a formal route to regularisation could eventually bring security of tenure and a path towards titles. For registered landowners, including those living overseas, the firm stance against new squatting offers some reassurance, although the practical safeguards have yet to be spelt out. In the meantime, owners of idle land would be wise to keep an eye on it and keep their title and tax records in order.
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