The government’s promise to distribute free land titles to long-term occupants of crown lands is being welcomed across southern communities, but on the ground, optimism is tempered by uncertainty, scepticism and questions about who’s really included.
Last month, Housing Minister Richard Frederick announced that some 800 lots in Eau Piquant, Pomme, Augier and Cantonment had been surveyed and that qualifying residents would begin receiving official documentation “identifying the block and parcel number, and the area of occupation pursuant to which their deeds will be facilitated”, in two weeks time. The land rationalisation initiative, announced during the Prime Minister’s April Budget Address, offers free titles to individuals who have lived on state-owned land (under 8 000 square feet) for more than 30 years and land at a cost of $2.50 per square foot for those who’ve lived on crown lands for less than 30 years.
Some residents told St Lucia Times that while the move sounds promising, they’re cautious, uncertain and still patiently waiting on the next steps.
“I’m waiting to hear from the government to see what they will be doing,” said Mr Mombelly, the earliest settler in Cantonment according to residents. “They’ve been coming and passing around for years and nothing is happening so, I don’t know what they’re going to be doing this time. Election is approaching, so I’m waiting to see and hear what’s happening.”
Mombelly says he first began farming in the area in September 1975, long before houses dotted the community. Over the decades, he says, residents like him helped to facilitate the installation of electricity poles and negotiated access to basic utilities.
Now, he says, he’s hopeful but still waiting on clarity.
‘Looking, listening and hoping’
Two residents in Cantonment said they received a letter regarding the initiative to inform them of an upcoming meeting but they’re still awaiting the content of the meeting.
Another was less hopeful. Living in a separate unit on the same lot as his mother, who began occupying the land in the 1980s, he said surveyors were in contact with his family and while their lot is included he cannot help but feel sceptical.
“It’s a good thing, but I’m concerned about whether there’s a bigger agenda behind that,” he said, asking not to be named. “Could it be house tax? Trying to accumulate more money?”
He added that community members rarely speak openly about the land issue because it feels beyond their control: “We’re just watching and waiting.”
Excluded despite decades of occupation
For some, the bigger concern lies in being left out. Two residents, one in Cantonment and one in Eau Piquant, reported that their neighbours’ lots were surveyed and flagged for meetings with government officials, while their own properties, despite over three decades of occupancy, were overlooked.
In Eau Piquant, 34-year-old Wendell Charles, whose family has occupied their plot for more than three decades, said he had received word of initiatives like this years ago, but was unsure on whether and when things would come to fruition so he took matters into his own hands months ago and tried purchasing the land.
“I went to them to try and buy a piece of land… They said they would call, but nothing yet,” Charles explained, adding that he’d then been told the land would be sold to him at $4.00 per square foot. “It’s okay what the government is doing, but I’m just waiting to hear from them.”
Yet, around him, neighbours have had their plots surveyed as part of this administration’s free and discounted land titles initiative.
A welcome idea – if it reaches everyone
Still, around the bus stand and in neighbourhood gatherings, residents agree on one thing: the idea behind the initiative is a good one.
“It’s good for the area,” said a woman who lives in Cantonment with her partner, whose family owns the house. She hopes to secure a piece of land for herself one day and wants to see more people included.
While the government prepares to issue letters detailing block and parcel numbers, mixed reactions on the ground highlight a broader concern: while the programme aims to formalise ownership and empower long-time residents, the rollout so far has left many uncertain about whether they’re truly part of the plan.
