HAJ to Inspect Easington Lands as St. Thomas Housing Plans Advance

The Housing Agency of Jamaica Limited is expected to visit Easington in St. Thomas on Tuesday, June 16, to examine lands that could be bought from the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation.

Kevin McKindoe, the Corporation's Chief Executive Officer, shared the update at the municipal body's monthly meeting on June 11. He said HAJ had already carried out an initial check of the properties, using the National Land Agency website to review the parcels and study the terrain.

McKindoe said the planned visit would allow HAJ officials to inspect the lands directly before deciding whether to move ahead with purchasing the Corporation-owned properties.

He also reported that the National Housing Trust is expected to carry out a separate review. According to McKindoe, the Corporation is still waiting for the NHT to make its own site visit.

The matter is tied to the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation's wider plan to subdivide the roughly 100-acre Easington property this year, ahead of its possible disposal.

In January, the Corporation said it intended to regularise people already living on parts of the land by giving them a pathway to secure titles.

Officials say the proposed subdivision and disposal are aimed at supporting housing development while dealing with long-running land tenure issues affecting residents in the community.