Philipsburg:--- Several tenants living in the government low income homes in Belvedere claim that the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) is threatening them with eviction if they are not able to pay their full rent. Many tenants said they received letters two weeks ago informing them government has cut their subsidy and they are now in arrears with the foundation. Letters that were given to the tenants state that the subsidy was cut since January 2011 but the tenants claim they were not informed before. "I got a letter telling me that I owe the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation Naf. 3,000.00 and if I don't pay it by a certain time then I will face eviction."Another tenant said the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation collects maintenance fees but they do not maintain the homes. "Some of the houses don't have electricity in all the rooms, while in others the locks are broken but SMHDF does not repair or fix anything even if they are notified several times."
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams said in an invited comment that some people also contacted her office on the issue. The Prime Minister further explained that the subsidy that is granted to persons living in the low income homes are for persons whose salary are very low. She said the subsidy is renewed every year and government was informed that several persons did not submit the required documents while others situation had changed. She said the eviction procedures remain the same, tenants she said are given the opportunity to make payment arrangements and they are given notification. Besides that, government will be notified when drastic decisions are taken.
In an interview with SMN News, the Managing Director of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation Henry Lynch said the foundation is busy taking corrective measures by placing people in apartments they can afford. Lynch said the past management of SMHDF made some irrational decisions when placing tenants. He said the foundation has changed managing directors and finance managers about eight or nine times, furthermore each managing director had their own rules.
Lynch said there are 474 apartments in Belvedere of which 318 of them qualify for rental subsidy. The Managing Director said the foundation is busy taking some important corrective measures. Lynch said while everyone has a right to rent subsidy, that he said is granted to persons that has the need for it. He said the past management blindly approved subsidy for all senior citizens living in Belvedere but since he took office he has been asking questions in order to rectify the situation. He said there are cases where senior citizens are living in three bedroom apartments and their rental subsidy surpasses Naf. 700.00. Lynch said he had a report compiled and the report shows that some of the tenants (senior citizens) are in violation of the rental contract. According to the report, some senior citizens are holding on to their apartment to accommodate their children and grandchildren should they return to St. Maarten while one of them is operating a day care center in her apartment.
The Managing Director said he has a long list of people waiting for two and three bedroom apartments while there are people violating their rental contracts.
He further explained that political favors and nepotism does not help people, on the contrary this hurts people and there are cases where people were granted the wrong apartments and given subsidy for apartments that does not fit their situation. He said the SMHDF is willing to relocate the tenants that were misplaced and those tenants that are refusing the SMHDF's offer is also refusing their subsidy and home.
