Prime Minister Holness Announces HAJ Amnesty as Government Expands Push to Deliver Land Titles
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has announced an amnesty for clients of the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) with outstanding amounts under one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
The move will allow the waiving of the amount so that land titles can be delivered to those who qualify.
Prime Minister Holness made the announcement on Friday (July 18) at a HAJ function in Westmoreland.
“I’ve told the chairman [of the HAJ] to examine the database for all titles with outstanding balances under $150,000, and we’re going to offer an amnesty. I’d also like to use this platform to say to those with balances over $150,000, come in and start paying. Let us settle this and get all the titles out there into your hands because the title gives you access to financing. Once you have the title, you can go to your bank and get a loan and start a business. It helps. It gives you security,” said Prime Minister Holness.
Dr. Holness noted that more than 7,000 titles are in HAJ’s possession, many delayed due to surveying complications or unpaid balances, issues the amnesty aims to help resolve.
In the meantime, Dr. Holness reaffirmed the Government’s unwavering commitment to broad-based land and home ownership across Jamaica as he handed over 86 certificates of title to residents from various communities in Westmoreland.
Prime Minister Holness noted that the handover of titles is a transformational moment in the lives of families who have long waited for legal recognition of land they’ve occupied for decades.
“With that piece of paper, you will walk literally into a new life. You will walk with your head high. You will walk with confidence. Nobody can come and tell you to move from here,” said the Prime Minister.
The titles were processed through the HAJ, which has been tasked with regularizing and upgrading informal settlements islandwide.
Prime Minister Holness emphasized that the Government is committed to reversing decades of informal development and is determined to do things differently.
“I do not believe in ‘chaka-chaka’ development. If we are going to move forward, let’s move forward in order, discipline, fairness, and equity,” he said.
Dr. Holness explained that for too long, previous governments have tolerated or even enabled informal land occupation as a short-term solution to housing shortages, often leaving residents without basic infrastructure or legal protection.
Many of the affected communities were formed under the now-defunct Operation PRIDE program of the 1990s.
Prime Minister Holness outlined that the Government is charting a new course, with “full development upfront.” This is providing infrastructure such as water, roads, and garbage collection in place before people move in, in stark contrast to what was done in the past.
“I think at this stage, we should not seek to do development incrementally. We should settle people fully and then allow them to pay for it over time. That is the approach of the Government,” said Prime Minister Holness.
Yesterday’s ceremony was part of a wider effort to deliver land titles across Jamaica, especially in underserved communities.
Prime Minister Holness emphasized that the Government’s vision is about building a more orderly, equitable, and prosperous future for all Jamaicans.