HAJ and NHT Weigh Easington Land Purchase as St Thomas Plans 100-Acre Subdivision

Two state-run housing bodies are said to be exploring the purchase of land in Easington, St Thomas, as part of wider efforts to grow housing stock across the parish.

The Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) is set to visit the site this week as it continues an evaluation that may result in the acquisition of parcels held by the St Thomas Municipal Corporation.

Chief Executive Officer Kevin McKindoe said the agency has already wrapped up a preliminary review of the properties. "They have done their desk assessment by looking at the NLA (National Land Agency) website, looking at the properties… looking at the topography," the CEO said.

McKindoe noted that the field visit will give HAJ staff a chance to inspect conditions on the ground before deciding whether to move forward with buying the land.

He also disclosed that the National Housing Trust (NHT) is expected to undertake a separate review of the same property. The municipal corporation, he added, is "still awaiting the NHT to conduct their site visit".

These steps align with the corporation's wider plan to carve up about 100 acres in Easington over the course of this year, with a view to selling plots and enabling development.

Easington sits in the Llandewey division and lies roughly a 15-minute drive from Yallahs.

In January, the corporation outlined a programme to bring existing occupiers on parts of the land into compliance by giving them a path to secure titles.

The planned subdivision and sale are meant to open space for new housing while tackling persistent land-tenure problems facing residents in the area.