Jamaican gov't to relocate families displaced in Cooper’s Pen demolition
Key Points(5)
- The Jamaican Government is moving to relocate the first group of families displaced by the demolition of homes in Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny, with land now being surveyed for resettlement and relocation subsidies being pursued.
- The move comes about a month after several homes were demolished in the community on Aug.
- 11 following a long-running dispute over privately owned land.
- Approximately 44 families were affected by the demolition, which triggered a humanitarian response from the Government.
- The Government was not a party to the underlying private land dispute.
The Jamaican Government is moving to relocate the first group of families displaced by the demolition of homes in Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny, with land now being surveyed for resettlement and relocation subsidies being pursued.
The move comes about a month after several homes were demolished in the community on Aug. 11 following a long-running dispute over privately owned land. Approximately 44 families were affected by the demolition, which triggered a humanitarian response from the Government.
The Government was not a party to the underlying private land dispute. Authorities have said the owners obtained a court order to repossess the property after their ownership rights were upheld by the courts.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness previously described the resulting displacement as a humanitarian crisis, while stressing that the Government could not allow the affected residents to remain on privately owned land.
During an Aug. 28 visit to Cooper’s Pen, Holness announced that land had been identified in Trelawny for the possible relocation of eligible residents. The proposed intervention included serviced lots and relocation grants to help families rebuild and replace household items damaged during the demolition.
Holness provided an update on those efforts Friday, Sept. 11, during the handover of a three-bedroom house to a family in Pedro District, St. Catherine.
He said significant progress has been made since his visit to Cooper’s Pen, with the Ministry of Housing, Social Development Commission, Ministry of Tourism through the Tourism Enhancement Fund and Jamaica Defence Force working together on the response.
“We are all working together to try to find a solution to this issue of the illegal irregular settlement of land and where it becomes necessary, the resettlement and relocation of persons,” Holness said.
According to the prime minister, work has already begun to survey land that could be made available to affected families.
Preparations are expected to advance to civil works, including road construction, lot preparation and the installation of infrastructure.
The Government had previously said a social survey was being conducted to determine which residents were legitimate potential beneficiaries of the intervention.
Holness also disclosed that more than 300 semi-permanent modular housing units are being deployed to people who have been vetted as being in need, particularly those who lost their homes during the hurricane.
Approximately 2,500 units are currently available in Jamaica, with work underway to prepare bases and facilitate their deployment.
The prime minister said the Cooper’s Pen situation also highlights a broader shortage of affordable housing for low-income Jamaicans.
He said the challenge is not limited to insufficient financing opportunities but also includes a shortage of physical housing units.
The Government is seeking to address the problem by making more land available for development and increasing the supply of affordable homes.
Holness said the shortage of affordable housing has contributed to the expansion of informal and irregular settlements across Jamaica, noting that Government studies have found that many people illegally occupying land are contributors to the National Housing Trust.
