Home Repair Program

Home Repair program

Private Home Repair

Hurricane Irma severely damaged Sint Maarten’s housing stock when it struck the country in September 2017. The hurricane’s violent winds and tremendous storm surge affected between 70% and 80% of the local housing sector, resulting in damage to the tune of approximately US $442 million.

Many of these houses belonged to low- and middle-income families, who largely lacked the means to rebuild their homes after the hurricane’s devastating blows. Instead, they used tarpaulins to block out the rain and used makeshift materials to board up broken windows and doors. Some homes were so damaged that the owners were forced to abandon them, leaving the structures to be inhabited by flocks of pigeons and other animals.

ERP-1’s home repair program sought to return the most vulnerable of these affected families to their homes. Through repairs to roofs, windows, and doors – as well as electrical, plumbing, and structural works for enhanced safety – the program has provided a safer environment safer environment for this segment of affected homeowners, following the “Build Back Better” principle.

As of August 1, 2022, exactly 160 private homes have been repaired through ERP-1, with work on an additional 18 private homes scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2023 under a new contract.

Social Home Repair

The home repair program has also directly repaired 109 social homes of the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF), while work on another 64 units of the so-called Belvedere Towers is currently underway. In addition to this, ERP-1 has provided retroactive financing for 160 units that were repaired by SMHDF immediately after the 2017 hurricane season.