The National Housing Trust: A Call for Change
The National Housing Trust (NHT) has reached a critical juncture. By 2026, it seems to operate more as a mortgage bank for the middle class than as a safety net for the vulnerable. The grassroots taxpayer remains landless, while our communities are increasingly defined by unplanned, precarious settlements.
For decades, we’ve tried to address the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism through various means—calls for reparations, the establishment of the NHT, and the acceptance of squatting. Yet, these efforts have largely fallen short. Reparations feel like a distant dream, the NHT has become an exclusionary institution, and squatting merely perpetuates poverty and legal uncertainty.
The Crisis of Ownership
Skyrocketing real estate prices, fueled by unregulated short-term rentals and foreign speculation, have created a new class of "borderline homeless" young professionals. We are in the midst of a crisis that undermines stable family structures, which are vital for national growth.
True justice for the descendants of the enslaved and indentured lies in equitable land allocation.
Institutionalized Instability
Our current landscape suffers from three major failures:
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The Crown as Landlord: The Jamaican State remains the largest landholder, a colonial remnant that denies citizens true equity.
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Incentivized Informality: With over 80% of children born outside of wedlock, our policies fail to support stable family units. This lack of a "family-first" land policy traps families in cycles of instability.
- The Politics of Patronage: Successive governments have prioritized short-term political gains over long-term solutions, rewarding informal settlements instead of promoting legal titles and structured development.
A Legislative Mandate for Justice
To address these issues, I propose a Land Reformation Act aimed at reshaping our relationship with land through intentional community formation. Here’s how:
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Winding Up the NHT: Liquidate the Trust’s land banks into a National Land Divestment Fund (NLDF). This fund will facilitate the structured sale of Crown land at nominal fees, prioritizing local residents to preserve community ties.
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Self-Funding Transition: Using the NHT’s existing surplus as seed capital, the NLDF can finance surveying, titling, and basic infrastructure for new communities. This transforms idle cash into active national equity.
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Integrated Infrastructure: The Act should mandate the inclusion of essential services—schools, hospitals, and green spaces—ensuring that new developments are not just about selling lots but about building thriving communities.
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The Moshav Model: We should adopt cooperative living models centered on family and community values, relocating families from disaster-prone areas to secure environments.
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Market Protection: Limit residential property use for short-term rentals and prohibit the sale of government-owned land to non-nationals, opting for long-term leases instead.
- Abolition of Adverse Possession: The State should resolve landlessness using its own land, rather than compromising citizens’ private property rights.
A Nation of Freeholders
While the National Land Agency (NLA) is making strides in land registration, we need a broader vision. My experience as Hurricane Relief Coordinator in St. Elizabeth after Hurricane Melissa highlighted the urgent need for citizens to have a "piece of the rock" to call their own.
The State should be a nominal landholder; the Jamaican family must be the ultimate owner. We must transition from a nation of tenants to a nation of freeholders.
Are we ready to prioritize the Land Reformation Act and correct the historical injustices that have long plagued our society?
— Francesca Tavares, Attorney-at-Law. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.
