The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake will sign the building permit necessary to start construction of 24 senior citizens homes early next week.
All relevant paper work is being prepared by Ministry VROMI.
Ground breaking will take place in mid-July and 12 additional senior homes will be built right after.
One of the Minister’s top priorities is to start this project for the senior citizens who he considers the backbone of the country. "I have a very special place in my heart for our senior citizens which have worked so hard to make us what we are today as a society.
"I will be working very closely with the other Minister’s to see what other services we can offer to our senior citizens," Minister Maurice Lake disclosed on Friday.
Minister Lake’s vision for this year is the building of affordable housing for senior citizens in Belvedere as well as homes in Upper Princess Quarter and Foga, therefore also allowing young professionals and single mothers to acquire their first home.
The acquisition of land to build more homes is also on the Minster’s priority list.
"These housing priorities are built on the vision of the United People’s (UP) party and its leader Theo Heyliger for the further improvement in the quality of life for the people of this country.
"These housing projects will not only have the end results of better living conditions and opportunities for home ownership, but the projects will help to jolt our fledgling economy with the creation of construction jobs, the spin-off of which will be felt throughout the community," Minister of VROMI Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out.
Minister Lake said the housing projects will take into consideration the suggestion of Democratic Party Member of Parliament Hon. Leroy de Weever to introduce soft loans to help our people purchase a home through the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation.
"As Minister, I fully support the ‘lease to own program’ for homes for the Upper Princess Quarter and Foga Housing projects which will be executed within these coming months," Minister Lake concluded.