THE BOTTOM – As the affordability of homes and rising cost of living is a pressing issue for many Sabans, Public Entity Saba together with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Own Your Own Home Foundation and Bazalt Wonen (previously Woonlinie) signed a ‘Letter of Intent’, during the winter of 2023/24, in which it was agreed to work together to take measures on the housing market to improve living standards and address poverty. 

All parties came together on the 10th of April to take stock of progress and to discuss the next steps. This includes developing an independent way to determine rent for social rented homes and how many tenants are able to contribute based on their income. The remainder will be subsidized by the government. This will ensure that tenants of social homes pay a fair rent and will not pay more than they can afford. This will also be supported by a rent tribunal where rental issues can be independently challenged. 

Another priority is to build more affordable homes. The Under the Hill 2 project was recently completed, but the need for more affordable homes remains. The Public Entity will explore potential locations for affordable housing which, next to social rented homes, could also include affordable owner-occupied housing. 

Self-built homes

Finally, there is the intention to set up a fund to support self-built homes. The costs of building a home are high on Saba, as it is often not possible to include the costs for the foundation and cistern as part of a mortgage. The Public Entity with its partners will explore in what ways they can support those who want to build their own home with these high up-front costs.