OPPOSITION spokesman on land Lothan Cousins has declared that if the People’s National Party (PNP) is returned to power in the next general election, it will immediately take steps to ensure that landless Jamaicans are able to “own a piece of the Rock”.

Making his contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Tuesday Cousins said the PNP will move to reform laws to allow people occupying Crown lands be able to claim adverse possession of the property after 25 years, instead of the current 60 years.

According to Cousins, the PNP intends to preside over, “what could be considered as the single largest transfer of wealth from the State to the hands of the people by formalising and correcting close to two centuries of injustice meted out to the Jamaican people by the Crown”.

Making his presentation under the theme, ‘Championing change in land and housing: Justice, dignity and opportunity for all’, Cousins declared that it is time to end the shame of landlessness.

He charged that the land issue sits at the centre of Jamaica’s historical injustice and future prosperity.

“For generations, land has represented more than just acres and boundaries; it has symbolised freedom, stability, and dignity. Yet far too many Jamaicans still live without the security of tenure, the hope of ownership, or the ability to pass on anything tangible to the next generation. It is time to end the shame of landlessness,” Cousins remarked.

He traced the history of inequitable land distribution in Jamaica and what he called the disempowerment of the masses regarding secure land tenure.

“Up until Emancipation, the Crown, together with the owners of the estates, plantations, and pens, had a virtual monopoly of all the lands in Jamaica. Even post-Emancipation, they continued to maintain their grip by crafting the Emancipation Act of 1833, which ensured that the newly freed labour force would continue working on the estates, limiting their access to land. That legacy still haunts us today,” Cousins said.

In terms of the current landscape, Cousins, the Member of Parliament for Clarendon South Western, highlighted that the Government was the largest landowner and charged that it has failed to utilise this asset for the benefit of the people.

“It [Government] has not sought to use this asset to eradicate the proliferation of unplanned and informal settlements. A PNP Government will undertake a programme akin to what is done in Dominica, where the Government undertook a radical land titling programme by distributing Government land to those already in possession. This was done in some instances by selling the land for a percentage of its market value, undertaking the requisite surveys and providing land titling services to many informal settlers, some of whom had occupied these lands for decades,” Cousins shared.

He painted a grim picture of a majority of Jamaicans, young and old, being landless and pointed to research which showed that as of 2018, the majority of Jamaica’s population falls between the ages of zero and 39.

“Within this group, approximately 975,000 Jamaicans fall within the age range of 19 to 39. These young people are among the most directly affected by the deep lack of access to affordable land and housing,” said Cousins.

He argued that the landless the crisis extends far beyond the young people as there are many Jamaicans aged 40 to 55 who have still not acquired housing.

“And under the current economic climate, even those above 55 are still without a secure roof over their heads. It is also estimated that over 700,000 Jamaicans, some say the figure may be closer to a million, live in informal settlements because they cannot afford land or housing,” he lamented.

The Opposition spokesman said studies in 2004 and 2008 concluded that the Government of Jamaica owns 75 per cent of the land on which squatter settlements are located.

“The commissioner of lands has responsibility for 47 per cent of these lands, with the remaining 53 per cent owned by statutory organisations and agencies. A negligible percentage is owned by municipal corporations”.

Cousins told the House that the next PNP Government has identified land and housing as a priority for national transformation.

“We begin from the principle that every Jamaican who desires to own a home should be facilitated to do so. Homeownership in the 21st century must be treated as a right, similar to education and health,” declared Cousins.

“The inability of thousands to own a home is rooted in the structural inequalities that govern Jamaican society. One essential step is to accept informality as a legitimate mode of urbanisation. We must support and collaborate with those who are parcelling land and constructing buildings in informal settlements, rather than working against them,” added Cousins.

He acknowledged that this will not be easy as it challenges our sense of order but insisted, “In a society marked by profound structural informality and deep inequality, true social cohesion can only be achieved through dialogue and consultation within a clear framework of legal reform. Such an approach will yield better results than heavy-handed, punitive measures”.

Cousins promised that a PNP Administration will revisit the issue of Government land and how persons who have been living on it for decades can benefit.

“We are not giving it away, but a system must be designed to ensure that those in possession for an extended period are given an opportunity to legally acquire these lands. This is how we create an ownership society.

“The country stands to benefit immensely; it’s a win-win, it gives land to the landless, restores trust in the Government and has the potential to earn real-time revenue for the Government from the sale or leasing of these lands,” added Cousins.

He underscored that the PNP’s proposal “is not a one-size-fits-all”, as each community has its own unique circumstances.

“But we will address these issues through consultation with residents and the relevant agencies. In some cases, relocation may be necessary due to environmental and other factors which render certain areas uninhabitable. We will revisit how persons living on Government land for decades can benefit from ownership, not through giveaways, but through a system that allows them to purchase at affordable rates. That is how we build an ownership society”.

“This is also why we propose that under a future PNP government, the cost of the land will be excluded from the NHT housing prices. Therefore buyers will pay only for the housing unit itself, resulting in a savings of approximately $2.5 million to $3 million per unit for the cost associated with the purchase of the land. This makes homeownership possible for nurses, teachers, public servants, persons with disabilities, and the average young Jamaican,” said Cousins.

According to the Opposition spokesman, any discussion on land ownership must include an examining the laws that govern it, specifically the Registration of Titles Act (ROTA).

He noted that under this 1833 law, a person in adverse possession of Crown land is unable to apply for a possessor title unless they can prove such possession for 60 years.

“Our research shows that this period is being reduced in other countries. In the United Kingdom, it is now 10 years save for land on the foreshore, which still requires 60 years. The view of the UK Commission that reviewed the law is that in these modern times, the Government has a duty of care to its citizens to protect Crown lands and to ensure their productive use.

“It is no longer permissible to simply offer resource constraints or the large acreage to be policed as an excuse. Under the next PNP Government, our proposal is that 60 years should be reduced to 25 years, save and except for land on the foreshore, which should still require 60 years,” Cousins said.

He added: “We believe this is ample time for the Government to ensure that protective arrangements are in place. A PNP Government will move with alacrity to amend the ROTA to provide for a shorter time frame for persons who have been living on Government or Crown land to claim it. The same rules that apply to private owners must be commensurate with those that apply to the Government.

“The Government of Jamaica is the largest landowner in the country, who can hardly account for what it owns, yet persons must meet high hurdles to get a title”.