PHILIPSBURG--The 70 social apartment units at Hope Estate should be ready to house their first tenants by mid February, barring any unforeseen circumstances, according to Commissioner in charge of Public Housing William Marlin.
The three apartment buildings, consisting of 34 one-bedroom apartments and 36 two-bedroom apartments, are being constructed by Liccom N.V. and are viewed as a crucial small step in securing affordable housing for low income earners, individuals and small families on St. Maarten.
Financing for the construction, approximately NAf 8.2 million, was made possible through the harbour buyback funds. Monthly rent payments will not exceed NAf 450 and some of the 70 apartments on ground level have already been allotted to physically impaired persons who have been deemed able to live alone and unassisted and to some seniors citizens.
The other apartments will be allocated to people high on the housing needs list kept by the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF). This list has about 1,100 applicants with almost 200 of these living in dire circumstances.
