Dear Editor,
I have taken note of correspondence received from law firm Hoeve & Rogers with some frustration, the law firm having been contracted by various SMHDF [St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation – Ed.] tenants in their Belvedere community.
I lament the unfortunate disregard for personal responsibility and the underlying “cultural” practice of favour-for-family, both of which have had a significantly negative impact on SMHDF’s efficiency and effectiveness over the course of the last decade.
We at SMHDF are faced with the very real reality that we have tenants who ignore direct communication, both written and verbal, deny us access to properties we actually own and refuse to pay the required rental fees, some for as long as six years.
This has only led to delays regarding, in particular, the repairs to damaged homes following the passing of Hurricane Irma.
Instead of cooperation and collaboration, what we have seen is the stated behaviours taking place and then the same tenants take the foundation to court for what they claim is our lack of attention towards their repairs. Twelve tenants could have started these repairs on their own, in accordance with the court case verdict earlier this year.
A recent Court of First Instance ruling permitted 12 tenants to pay only 25 per cent of their rent until such time as repairs to their homes were completed. These repairs were to be funded by the tenants directly, taken from the 75 per cent of their rent that they were permitted to keep by the Court. To date, approximately 15 months after Hurricane Irma, it appears to SMHDF that none of the tenants involved in this initial court case have complied with the court’s instruction. To make matters worse, only one of these tenants has been complying and paying 25 per cent of their rent to the foundation.
The lack of repairs is an assumption from our end, of course. We have not been allowed access to the homes of approximately 58 individuals, one of whom is not a tenant, to properly assess what repairs, if any, have been made since Irma. It is almost as if the tenants want to continue paying just 25 per cent of their rent for a lifetime, which, of course, is not the purpose driving the Court’s ruling. So perhaps the Court and involved law firms should investigate the true motivation behind the tenants’ filings.
It must be noted that SMHDF’s experience in the post-Irma world highlights several long-running issues that the foundation has been struggling with since its inception. SMHDF was established in 1996 as a response to the need for social housing targeted at low-income individuals within the community. It was meant to be a springboard toward long-term home ownership to allow for there to be a continuous cycle of renters, as individuals and their incomes developed. However, through various actions taken by my predecessors, previous board members and previous Commissioners/Ministers of VROMI [Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure] , SMHDF is at serious financial risk as it prepares to enter into 2019.
It is a vicious cycle. Court-appointed marshals have delayed execution of certain verdicts in cases we have had against tenants not paying rent for over five years. Former Minister Emmanuel went so far as to call a halt to our cases or to the marshals.
The rent on our properties is already significantly lower than it should be to accommodate our maintenance and emergency situation funding. We are of the sad belief that many tenants are trying to delay repairs to force the value of their home to go down as the property deteriorates and thus be “given” the home. SMHDF is not going to allow this to occur, as it goes against the very principles on which the foundation was started. There must be some personal responsibility taken with regard to the delays of the repairs.
I would like to thank those tenants who have shown a commitment to communication and collaboration with the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation. This is the only way the true and full post-Irma recovery can actually progress. As we have stated before, large-scale repairs will commence in January after the usual construction holiday.
Helen Salomons
Director, St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation
