No solution yet for Crystal’s
critical housing situation
PHILIPSBURG--Two days after they were scheduled to vacate their St. John’s premises, the occupants of Crystal Children’s Home are still without a solution to their housing woes. Crystal’s Directress Eva Williams said while some persons had called the Multi Purpose Organisation (MPO), which runs the home, to pledge assistance, the foundation had received no solid assistance to help it out of its plight.
“We’ve received calls from concerned citizens, but no commitments,” she said. “We have also informed our landlord that we won’t be able to leave. I also wrote a letter to the Housing Committee asking what our legal rights are to find a suitable place.”
Williams said she feels badly about the entire situation. “No one has called to see what’s going on. It seems as though everyone is just taking an opportunity to say something publicly.”
She said an official from the Netherlands had contacted MPO and asked that they keep them abreast of the situation. “Our option is still to purchase a property nearby because it doesn’t make sense to pay rent to pay off someone else’s mortgage.”
MPO was given an eviction notice to vacate the St. John’s premises by Tuesday, January 15. Sixteen neglected and orphaned teens and an eight-year-old are among the persons currently occupying the home.
The home, which is financed primarily by community sponsorship, is in three months’ arrears with its US $3,500 per month rent – a total of US $10,500.
MPO officials have been hunting for alternative accommodation since they received the eviction notice in June last year. MPO is hoping to purchase an eight-bedroom home that is up for sale in the St. John’s area, a stone’s throw from Crystal’s current location, but this property costs US $850,000 – some US $405,556 more than the funds allocated for the home under the harbour shares buyback programme.
Health Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus had said a deadlock over an increase in funding between Justice Minister David Dick and homes that cater to orphaned and neglected youth in St. Maarten was one of the factors stalling the signing of a Care Contract regulating payment to these institutions in St. Maarten.
The Care Contract will stipulate the amount the Central Government will pay per foster child and set standards to bring about some sort of regulation to the sector.
Buncamper-Molanus had told reporters that the care for orphaned and neglected youths falls under the Central Government and directly under Justice Minister David Dick. The Commissioner said it was “very unfortunate” that the care contract was never finalised.
