The Association of Christian Communicators and Media (ACCM) is calling for urgent action to address Jamaica’s longstanding landlessness problem, arguing that the issue is rooted in the unequal distribution of land following the abolition of slavery and continues to contribute to social and economic insecurity.
The association’s call comes amid renewed public debate over land ownership and the Government’s handling of illegal settlements, following the controversial demolition of a community in Cooper’s Pen. The ACCM said the incident has exposed a much deeper problem that cannot be resolved simply through evictions and enforcement.
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According to the ACCM, people who were emancipated in Jamaica in 1838 were not provided with land or meaningful property rights as they entered freedom. The association argues that the consequences of that historical imbalance continue to affect generations of Jamaicans who struggle to obtain secure land and housing.
It said the manner in which recent demolitions have been carried out also highlights the need for clearer procedures that protect human dignity while allowing the State to enforce property laws.
The ACCM acknowledged that property owners have legitimate rights that must be protected. However, it argued that simply removing people from illegally occupied land without addressing the shortage of affordable and accessible property leaves the underlying problem unresolved.
“Until the issue of landlessness is adequately addressed,” the association said, Jamaican courts are likely to continue issuing eviction orders affecting large numbers of people. It warned that while one arm of the State may be enforcing property rights, the manner in which evictions are conducted can simultaneously deepen social insecurity and create public health concerns.
The issue is particularly significant as Jamaica continues to grapple with informal settlements, disputed land ownership and difficulties surrounding land titling. Government figures presented earlier this year indicated that of approximately 970,000 parcels of land on the valuation roll, only about 550,000 have registered titles. The Government has also acknowledged that informal subdivisions have left many properties without registered titles or with ownership records that do not correspond to the current occupants.
The Government has separately been reviewing the use of adverse possession, amid concerns that the system is being exploited to take control of abandoned or privately owned land. Land and Titling Minister Robert Montague has said the administration supports the productive use of land but does not support widespread or speculative occupation.
Against that backdrop, the ACCM is proposing a more comprehensive approach that would address both illegal settlements and the circumstances that drive people toward them. The organisation wants the Government to identify known cases of informal occupation and develop policies that could allow suitable properties to be acquired for the public good, while ensuring that legitimate landowners are not unfairly deprived of their property.
It is also calling for a mechanism to prevent political considerations from interfering with efforts to settle land disputes. Among its recommendations is the creation of parish- or county-based land committees involving representatives from churches and civil society organisations.
The ACCM further suggested that the National Housing Trust (NHT) could play a greater role by using funds to acquire suitable properties and making them available through lease or rent-to-own arrangements. Such a model, it argued, could provide families with a realistic route to secure land ownership while allowing them to repay the cost over time.
The call comes against a wider national discussion about whether the unfinished business of emancipation should include greater access to land and economic opportunity. Earlier this month, the PJ Patterson Institute for Africa Caribbean Advocacy similarly argued that land ownership remains beyond the reach of too many Caribbean families and said emancipation must extend beyond political freedom to include economic empowerment and access to productive assets.
For the ACCM, the issue is therefore not simply about illegal occupation. It is about the long-term consequences of a land system that, in its view, left many formerly enslaved Jamaicans without a meaningful economic foundation after emancipation.
The association described the resulting landlessness as a “massively unjust” outcome of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and urged the Government to confront the problem through policies that balance private property rights with the need for secure housing and broader economic participation.
With Jamaica still facing challenges involving informal settlements, incomplete land titles and access to affordable housing, the ACCM’s intervention adds a historical dimension to an issue that remains highly relevant to the country’s present-day social and economic development.
