Ministry of Sustainable Development to Host Land Regularization Handover Ceremonies in the Margins of Sustainability Month Celebrations

Basseterre, Saint Kitts, 13 October 2025 The Ministry of Sustainable Development, in keeping with its ongoing Squatter’s Regularization Project, L.A.N.D Initiative and Land Regularization processes, will be hosting several handing over ceremonies to officially signify the formalization of ownership for approved informal residents in the Amsterdam, St. Paul’s; La Guerite, Shadwell and Upper Monkey Hill, St. Peters communities. 

This initiative is a progressive step in supporting community empowerment through land ownership and the provision of secure tenure in keeping with Pillar 5 of our nation’s Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA), Sustainable Settlements and is reflective of the Ministry’s wider efforts to regularize squatter settlements to prevent and avoid similar occurrences in the future. 

Minister Clarke expressed that “these ceremonies are a step forward not just in land ownership but community empowerment.  This is the culmination and final product of long and detailed processes dedicated to transforming squatter settlements into regularized, infrastructurally sound, accessible communities.  We are putting people first and by that are honoring and progressively realizing our Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA)”. 

In preparation, the Ministry has worked alongside affected communities to carry out the necessary technical work to accurately facilitate improvements toward ownership such as surveys and adjusting land plots for proper roadways.  The Ministry has also worked with the Department of Constituency Empowerment to ensure direct community connection, and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs to undertake the necessary legislative processes to procure official land titles. 

Reaffirming the Ministry of Sustainable Development’s commitment to land accessibility for the people of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Permanent Secretary, Ms. Sherilita Dore-Tyson noted that “we proud to lead this important government initiative to empower families through land ownership.  The journey has not been easy; it required months of dedicated work and commitment, but the results are truly rewarding.  For many of these families, this moment has been generations in the making.  Now, they will finally own the lands they have long occupied and called home. We are deeply proud of these families and the progress this initiative represents for our nation, and invite the public to witness these historic ceremonies, either in person or through media coverage.” 

The first ceremony is scheduled to take place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, 16 October 2025, in La Guerite and will be followed by the commencement of the second ceremony later that day at 4:30 p.m. in New Amsterdam. The final ceremony will be the first of three phases for the Upper Monkey Hill community which will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, 17 September 2025. 

-END-