ROSEAU, Dominica – April 30, 2026 – Years after the resettlement of Petite Savanne communities, a landmark policy delivering long-promised housing security is moving into active implementation, as the first group of resettled beneficiaries at the Bellevue Chopin resettlement site have started signing final legal documents to claim full ownership of their government-built homes at no cost.
The transfer process is formalized through two key legal documents: the Agreement of Transfer, which legally shifts property ownership from the government to individual beneficiary families, and the Memorandum of Encumbrance, which clearly lays out all terms and conditions tied to the land plots. Once the signing process is completed, the path will be fully cleared for the official issuance of Certificates of Title, the legal documents that confirm permanent home ownership.
This milestone follows a formal policy greenlight from Dominica’s Cabinet, which approved a framework granting full freehold ownership of government-constructed resettlement homes to eligible beneficiaries completely free of charge. Under the policy, eligible residents meet pre-defined ownership criteria, and the government will even cover all administrative costs associated with registering the new land titles, eliminating any out-of-pocket expenses for recipient families.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has selected 22 standalone homes at the Bellevue Chopin site as part of the first phase of the program. Prior to launching the signing process, ministry officials held multiple open consultations with participating residents to walk through all terms and conditions of the ownership transfer, giving every household the chance to ask questions and resolve uncertainties before formalizing their claim.
Housing Minister Hon. Melissa Poponne-Skerrit emphasized that the policy is a core demonstration of the government’s commitment to the long-term stability of resettled communities. “By removing the financial burden and transferring full ownership, we are giving families a solid foundation on which to build their future,” Poponne-Skerrit stated. “We remain committed to advancing this process until every eligible family is secured.”
Administrative teams have already submitted all completed documentation for the first batch of ownership transfers to the national Land Registry, marking the final step before official Certificates of Title are distributed to participating families.