~ Shelter contract not expired ~
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Businessman and community activist Omar Ottley on Wednesday said that urgent clarity is needed regarding who is responsible for putting 40 persons in the Suckergarden shelter out and why are they being asked to leave on November 30th.
Ottley raised the issue earlier this week and has since provided with new information that further confuses the issue. While some has dismissed the issue as “not that urgent” or “exaggerated”, he said he approached the owner of the shelter/building himself in an attempt to help after the worried persons involved approached him.
“I scheduled a meeting with the owner of the shelter/building to see if he would consider an extension and I turn give government a little extra time to plan. The persons received a letter on October 25 2019 informing them that the shelter will be closed by November 30th 2019,” ottley
said.
Ottley said he was surprised when the owner informed him that he was not responsible for the eviction and actually the contract is not up until next year. “He himself was in awe and confused as to why the persons were asked to leave the shelter by November 30th,” Ottley said. He added that the owner indicated that he would reach out to the Dr. J Foundation in an effort to gain some clarity.
“We hope that some clarity can be brought to this situation and a realistic approach can be taken from now until the actual end of contract to ensure that homes can be found for these persons,”
Ottley said.
