BELVEDERE--The St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) says it is owed more than NAf. three million in unpaid rent, with some tenants not having paid rent in more than five years.
SMHDF’s announcement comes after it was reported on Saturday that its rental income has been drying up due the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis. The foundation says it is due for its own financial crisis if the “more reliable” tenants continue to not pay rent.
SMHDF is again appealing to tenants who are able to maintain regular rent payments to continue to do so.
The foundation acknowledges that several tenants cannot pay their rent and said it will “continue to support these tenants as best it can.”
“We have suspended all court actions to evict tenants with long-outstanding rents while this crisis continues, but that does not mean the situation will remain as it is forever,” said SMHDF Director Helen Salomons on Monday. She said SMHDF “stands ready to make payment arrangements for tenants who have their own constraints in meeting their monthly rent due to loss of work or reduced pay.”
“Tenants facing difficulties with payment should send us an e-mail explaining their circumstances and officially request deferral of rent payments to a later date or to request a payment arrangement and/or rental allowance,” said Salomons. These requests can be sent to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“It is totally unreasonable to expect that we will obtain funds from the Dutch taxpayer to provide social and affordable housing for the people of St. Maarten when so many people are literally ‘living for free’ for years without any care that they have a responsibility to pay their rent when it’s due,” said Salomons.
Salomons said some tenants have “become used to running to various politicians to champion their causes, claiming they are not paying rent because of the poor state of repair of the properties.
“However, many are the same tenants who refuse to let workmen in [their homes – Ed.] to carry out those repairs so that they can continue to hold back on paying their monthly rent.
“The big difference between the tenants of SMHDF and tenants of private landlords is that in the latter case the landlord calls the shots, but in the foundation’s case it seems as though it is the tenants themselves who want to call the shots and not pay their rent when it’s due.”
She also said she had seen comments on social media about rent payments for persons in social and low-cost housing. She said she is “most surprised” about the “comment that the foundation is not living up to its past practice of repairing and painting homes.” This is “something the foundation will never be able to do if it does not even have the required funds it receives from rental payments,” said Salomons.
“At this time, we must demonstrate an understating for and of each other. Even in these times, no one expects to go into the stores and get food for free, so I cannot understand why anyone would think they should get a free pass when it comes to paying for housing.”
