Six Men’s folk hail land ownership deal after decades of tenancy, dispute

After decades of uncertainty, residents of Six Men’s, St Peter, are edging closer to owning the land beneath their homes, as more than 100 families prepare to receive title deeds, though some believe that after generations of tenancy, they should not have to pay for it.

More than 100 families are set to receive title deeds under what the government has dubbed the Six Men’s Life Improvement Project – a programme aimed at resolving one of the island’s longest-running land tenure issues. 

The pledge was given on Wednesday night at a Barbados Labour Party (BLP) meeting in Speightstown, where Prime Minister Mia Mottley said 132 qualified tenants were now moving closer to ownership, describing the initiative as a historic correction of long-standing land injustices.

Some 37 households had already received letters of offer, and surveys were underway to facilitate the transfer of title to all remaining eligible residents, she said.

BLP candidate for St Peter, Colin Jordan, said the matter of land tenure in Six Men’s had remained unresolved for nearly half a century, leaving generations of families uncertain about their future and unable to fully invest in their homes.

Among those now awaiting final word is 79-year-old Lorenzo Connell, who lives in his family’s house. Reflecting on the delay, he said: “That was a long time ago. I should have had it done before.” 

Connell said he felt relieved that the process was finally moving forward. “They say they will give the people the land long before, I feel good now, finally,” he said, adding that ownership would allow him to “pass it on to the young ones in his family”. 

He confirmed that surveyors had already visited the area and that he had completed and submitted the required forms, though he was still uncertain about the timing. 

On the issue of cost, Connell said: “Ten cents per square foot is alright, but they haven’t given me a price as to how much the entire lot would cost.”

Everton Griffith, 70, said his property was surveyed in mid-2025 and that he had visited the National Housing Corporation as recently as Tuesday to complete his paperwork. Having lived on the land for more than 20 years, Griffith believes he should not be charged.

“I should get it free ’cause I am an old pensioner,” he said, adding that he intended to leave the land for his daughter. He said the prospect of ownership made him feel good after decades of uncertainty.

For Sonia Goring, 67, the moment carries deep emotional significance. “I’m thankful,” she said. “ My mother didn’t live to see it, but I see it.” Goring explained that she and her brother were born and raised in Six Men’s and that their mother worked in the fields under difficult conditions. 

“This is significant for us because my mother used to work in the field, and it was hard work, so I am thankful we get it,” she said.

Asked about rent paid over the years, Goring said she could not recall the exact amount, noting that payments stopped long ago. “The overseer had stopped the rent a long time,” she said. “When he stop the rent, I was still going to school. I was about 17, 18.”

On the issue of price, she said: “I shouldn’t be paying nothing. I feel that those that went here all those years and was paying rent, we shouldn’t have to pay because we didn’t stop ourselves from paying the rent, it is the gentleman that was over it that stop it, but anyhow something is better than nothing.” 

With no children of her own, she said she planned to leave the land to her nieces and nephews.

Shuan Challenor traced his family’s connection to Six Men’s back to the 1960s and 1970s, explaining that while parts of his family later moved north to Checker Hall, St Lucy, his father remained. 

“I can’t remember what my foreparents paid in rent, but it had to be like cents on the dollar. At that time, it was cheap,” he said. 

While not overly emotional about the development, Challenor acknowledged its importance. “I just feel normal, not too fussy about it but I feel good that I have something to pass on to my children,” he said, adding that “the price was good”.

Seventy-year-old Stefanie Hunte said surveyors had not yet reached her house, but that she was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to finally own the land on which she lives.

Born in 1949, Samuel Jack said he had lived on his current spot for more than 40 years and in the wider area since around 1980, when he rented a house at the bottom of the hill. “I bought the house, and I remodelled it to where you see it is now.”

Receiving ownership would be a source of pride for Jack. “I feel proud,” he said, noting that he had already completed and submitted his forms before Christmas and was now waiting for a response.

On the cost, he said it was “more than reasonable” and confirmed he would be leaving the land for his daughter. 

Reflecting on the broader significance, Jack added: “In our generation, the older people, they didn’t have much to offer, but not because of that. We can’t come and do the same thing that they have done. We have to now come and do better because we’re looking for a future for ourselves and the children after. So when we go, the children have something to move on with, with their own children.”

Jack also pointed out that other tenantry areas across the island had long since been resolved.

“Mount Gay, Bromefield, Bourbon, Alleynedale, all these places went in on the [Tenantries Freehold Purchase] Act together, and the only people that didn’t receive nothing is we from Six Men’s,” he said. Recalling years of waiting, he added: “We had to wait, wait all these years. We’re waiting and waiting. A lot of people could have probably got their own home changed from wood to wall, but they didn’t know what’s going on.”

Many residents delayed making improvements out of fear of losing their investment, Jack said. “Nobody wanted to go and do something foolish. So we waited to see what was going on,” he said, adding that now the paperwork was complete, he was ready to move “in a hurry” once contacted.