Cabinet Approves Compulsory Land Acquisition

Cabinet has approved the compulsory acquisition of privately owned properties in Kingston to enable the Ministry of Water and Housing to provide security of tenure for its occupants.
The properties, located at 62 Molynes Road, 100 Red Hills Road, 8 Cedar Valley Road (Stanville), and 85 Waltham Park Road, will be purchased at a cost of $21,425,000, through financing from the Ministry’s Housing Fund.
Information Minister Senator Burchell Whiteman, who was addressing journalists at yesterday’s (May 30) post Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, said that the properties were obtained in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act of 1947.
“The acquisition for these properties will enable the Ministry to provide security of tenure for 194 families in order to enable them to improve their standard of living,” he noted.
He said that the Ministry had already expended funds to install infrastructure works including water supply and electricity, roads and drainage systems. In addition, subdivisions have been surveyed and lots marketed to the occupants.
The Information Minister informed that in a few instances, acquisition of some of the properties could not be finalized, because the “owners are deceased and despite placing advertisement in the local newspapers for their agent or their representatives to contact the Ministry, no one has responded”.
He noted also, that some of the estates had multiple beneficiaries, some of whom could not be located, and in other instances, negotiations have been unsuccessful as owners were requesting a price far in excess of the market value.
“In that case, the Ministry has exercised its powers under the (Land Acquisition) Act to get the appropriate valuations done and to compulsorily acquire the properties for the persons who are there,” he stated.