NORWOOD, St James — After years of waiting, 70 residents of this community have received titles to land they have long occupied.

“It’s overwhelming! We are happy, and we are saying not only that this Government means us well, they want to… make sure that we can continue to build ourselves and take care of our family — because without a title, you are nowhere. A title can give you a future ahead,” said Joseph Lloyd.

He was speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Monday evening, on the sidelines of a Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) land titling ceremony held at Norwood Apostolic Lighthouse Church.

Lloyd, who has been living in the community for the past 35 years, completed paying for his property approximately four years ago. He offered some advice to others still waiting.

“I will say to them, ‘Go and make your contribution. Because it’s worthwhile paying for your property so you can be a legal, loyal citizen where the infrastructure will make sure that we excel, and to make this community a better community where we all can be happy and to see ourselves as prime owners of the little property that we own,’ ” urged Lloyd.

There were similar sentiments shared by another resident, Deidreann Hibbert. She completed the process of paying for her property a little more than two years ago and said now that she has her title she can take out a loan or rent her property.

“I am very proud of myself. I was anxious, but now [that] I have received it, I’m happy,” she told the Observer.

Hibbert also had words of encouragement for others.

“It is the right choice. Go ahead and make payment and get your title,” she said.

Though her wait was long, she is convinced it was “worth it”.

During his keynote address in which he congratulated beneficiaries, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness also explained why some individuals under the HAJ — which was previously known as Operation PRIDE (Programme for Resettlement and Integrated Development Enterprise) — have not received their titles.

He said the then Government, through Operation PRIDE, pledged some of the titles or used them as collateral for a loan from the National Housing Trust (NHT) to complete other Operation PRIDE schemes. Holness said the HAJ was, essentially, saddled with a $3.49-billion loan.

“And so, the Government could not hand over the title to you. Now what we have done, since 2016 we have paid all that loan. We have paid about $2.6 billion back to the NHT, and what that has done is to free up titles. And that is why you see us now being able to deliver titles, because the lien that was on some of those titles would have been taken off because we have paid down that loan,” Holness told those gathered.

“You see the difference between this Administration and other administrations? We run the country well so that we don’t have to go and borrow to do the development, which then deprives you of some of the benefits that you should get,” he added.

He contrasted his perceived shortcomings of Operation PRIDE with gains made by the National Land Agency.

“You are living in a digital world. Eventually you will have the paper-based title but we are also going to be moving towards now having your digital titles. The necessary cybersecurity will be around it so that it cannot be duplicated and misused,” assured Holness.

Norwood resident Deidreann Hibbert with her recently received land title. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

Norwood resident Joseph Lloyd proudly displays his land title. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)