ORANJESTAD- PLP Councilman Clyde Van Putten says the Island Council has taken absolutely no decision on the sales price of the houses at Gold Rock, and that any discussion as to the prices of these houses has to be considered premature.

“I find it important to clarify this, because over the last few days I hear people saying that SHF has even mentioned sales prices to certain occupants of these houses and that is something I do not agree with”.

Van Putten says that it was the PLP/Merkman Government at the time had the goal to sell the houses to those people who already occupied them for many years; sometimes ever since they were built. Van Putten however is of the opinion that the houses should not be sold at market value, to people who have already paid rent on them for over 30 years.

Van Putten also explained that the original idea was that the houses would be sold to the present tenants, based on the condition the house was in. “The idea was to sell these houses and then tenants and future owners could be in charge of fixing them up, rather than to fix them up and then sell them at a higher price”.

Procedure

Van Putten underlined that the right steps and procedures have to be followed, when it comes to the sale of these houses. “The idea was for a general meeting to take place with the occupants to gauge the interest. Then an appraisal report should be made of each and every of the 25 houses which were going to be sold. Not just an all-across-the-board appraisal of one single house, but of each of these houses, to determine their fair value”.

Bazalt

Van Putten also said he was very much against the idea to pass the houses in question over to Bazalt Wonen, as according to  the council man was or is the intention of Government Commissioner Alida Francis. “Bazalt Wonen can construct new houses for lower income, but 25 of these houses should be sold to interested tenants and the ones which are not sold should be fixed up and rented by your own Housing Foundation. We don’t want to sell or lease them to Bazalt Wonen”, Van Putten concluded.