Moreland Residents Desperate to Leave Old Shacks

Over the last decade, these houses in Moreland Clarendon have been rapidly deteriorating, and residents say it is only getting worse as their houses threaten to fall apart at any time.

The decade-old structures have been causing much discomfort, but the Moreland residents’ hopes are being renewed as the Clarendon Municipal Corporation has secured land for their relocation. They now resemble old shacks, and they are falling apart as the structures have become quite frail.

On the inside of most of the houses, you find a mixture of pots, baths, and buckets strategically placed to catch water from the large holes in the roofs. Residents say they have been searching for a way out for years, but even the journey out of the community is a long and difficult one.

Since the closure of the Monymusk Sugar Factory in 2018, the residents say their situation has worsened as they now have no access to water and electricity. The residents are anticipating brighter days as the Clarendon Municipal Corporation has received land from the sugar company of Jamaica to have them relocated, but that is just the first step.

May Pen Mayor Winston Maragh, who has been leading the process, says great assistance is now needed to build new homes for the residents.

More in this CVM Live story from Christeen Forbes: