BELVEDERE--St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) requests that tenants who are able to pay their rent continue doing so. The foundation says its rental income has dried up due to the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 crisis and urges government to use the proposed stimulus package to assist tenants who can no longer afford to maintain their rent payments.
According to SMHDF Director Helen Salomons, rental income is needed for the foundation to meet its operational cost, such as paying salaries and providing services to tenants.
“Our monthly rents from tenants have all but dried up since March 18, when we were forced to go into lockdown … before rental payments for the month of March could be collected,” said Salomons.
She said the foundation is honouring government’s request not to evict tenants who cannot afford to pay their rent due to the present economic and social circumstances.
“However, even though the foundation understands there should be leniency for those without jobs or adequate means to pay … there are still some tenants who can afford to pay rent, but are refusing to do so under the cover of the coronavirus crisis,” said the foundation in a press release on Thursday.
“I strongly advise those who can [pay their rent – Ed.] to not get into a situation where they find themselves three or four mouths in arrears with their rent. It would be very unfortunate if, after this pandemic is over, we are left with no other choice but to demand what is owed or take other, more drastic actions,” said Salomons.
Despite SMHDF’s office being closed, persons can use online banking to make rent payments, according to her. “Or they should set aside enough money each month to pay for the missing months, so that once the present state of emergency is over, they can make good on their arrears from the amounts they have been putting aside,” she said.
Salomons said she has written to Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Egbert Doran and warned him “of the crisis tenants will be facing once the coronavirus crisis is over, unless some provisions are made now.”
“We are sounding a warning to government that tenants who are already being subsidised by government under the social housing programme can [very] well find themselves in a desperate position in the coming months, with rent arrears that they will be unable to meet,” she said.
Salomons urges government to set aside funds from the proposed government stimulus package to cover rent for those in need. She said the foundation is “ready to assist government in identifying those tenants in most need.”
“We are continuing to monitor the situation with our tenants and continue to wish them all to remain safe and to practice social distancing in accordance with the instructions of government,” said Salomons.
