Dutch housing corporation Bazalt Wonen today, Thursday, January 25, 2024, signed the Letter of Intent for Saba. This was done in the presence of State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitalization Alexandra van Huffelen.

An important part of the agreement is the realization of about 50 affordable rental and own homes up to and including 2030. The housing corporation has already been supporting the development of the social housing sector on Saba and Sint Eustatius for a while. Further support for the coming years will be secured with the signing of the Letter of Intent.

Building affordable homes together
It has been agreed that the Public Entity Saba (OLS) arranges the construction locations for the new homes. Bazalt Wonen will construct a number of the homes as social rental homes for people with a modest income. The housing corporation will also ensure that through the rental subsidy, the amount that future tenants pay in rent remains affordable for those persons with a low income.

Progress policy agenda
The Letter of Intent is part of the execution of the Social Housing and Physical Development Policy Agenda for the Caribbean Netherlands. This agenda was published on January 22, 2023. On January 15, 2024, the first progress report was published which mentioned the results of the past year. Early this year, 18 social homes of the Under the Hill-2 project will be completed on Saba.

Public review physical development program
Objective of the policy agenda is to make affordable housing possible for more people and to protect the living environment on the islands. For this reason, a rental committee will be established on Saba and more financing possibilities will be created for people who are having trouble completing the last part of financing to buy their home. Also, the draft document of the physical development program for the Caribbean Netherlands will be available for public review as of January 23, 2024. People can respond to the draft document until March 4, 2024.

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