Former sugar workers who seized unfinished houses at Golden Grove Meadows in St Thomas following the threat of Hurricane Matthew a decade ago will not be evicted, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining working to transfer official ownership to those who qualify.The decision ends a 10-year standoff amid confirmation from the ministry that the occupants – who defied state orders to vacate the St Thomas development after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 – were always the project’s intended beneficiaries.“The topic about relocation is not an issue because the houses were built at the specific location for the intended beneficiaries who are now occupying them. Therefore, the ministry is committed to completing the legal framework to make all qualified beneficiaries the legal owner of the housing units,” the ministry said.The revelation marks a major shift from the strict emergency contracts signed, which legally bound the workers to leave the European Union (EU)-funded units immediately after the storm passed.Instead, the ministry disclosed, in response to a Gleaner query, that a formal grant agreement was subsequently reached with the occupants after they refused to budge.“The persons who were allowed to occupy the houses on the approach of the hurricane were the intended beneficiaries; however, the official handing over was not done because there was still some structural work left to be done, mainly the testing of the wastewater treatment system,” the ministry said.It noted that there was no formal agreement to extend the occupants’ stay when they insisted that they would not vacate the premises. However, a grant agreement was executed between the ministry on one part and the beneficiaries on the other.According to the ministry, Golden Grove Meadows formed part of a programme implemented under the Government’s sugar transformation initiatives, supported through funding from the EU.It said the project was intended to facilitate the resettlement and housing of eligible beneficiaries associated with the restructuring of the sugar industry, in accordance with the programme’s established eligibility criteria.The ministry said the lands remain vested in the Sugar Company Jamaica (SCJ) Holdings Limited and the Government pending the completion of all legal, administrative and beneficiary qualification requirements necessary to facilitate individual transfers.Title transfers can only occur where beneficiaries satisfy the applicable programme conditions and all statutory requirements have been met, the ministry said.No conflictAsked about the specific steps the ministry has taken to resolve the conflicting claims between SCJ’s project mandate and the current residents’ lack of legal tenure, it said there was no conflict, clarifying that although the lands are vested in SCJ Holdings Limited, the project was implemented under the Sugar Transformation Unit of the ministry as part of the Government’s Sugar Transformation Programme.“Accordingly, the ministry and SCJ Holdings have worked collaboratively in addressing matters relating to the project and the occupancy of the development.“The issue is not one of conflicting institutional mandates, but rather, the continued occupation of the housing units by persons who were initially accommodated under a temporary emergency arrangement.“The ministry and SCJ Holdings have continued to examine appropriate legal, policy, and administrative options to address the matter in a manner that is consistent with the objectives of the project and the Government’s obligations,” the ministry said.In early July, The Gleaner reported that residents were in legal limbo, 10 years after capturing the unfinished properties.The group argued then that they ought to be given titles for the houses they have occupied and equipped for so long, complaining that a lack of formal ownership has prevented them from expanding to accommodate growing families.kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com