400 Tinian homesteads ready by mid-February

The 400-plus residential homestead applicants from Tinian will be issued their homestead lots in the middle of February by the governor, according to an announcement Friday by Public Lands Secretary John S. DelRosario Jr.

“The Tinian homestead lot issuance would be dovetailed with over 500 residential homestead lots on Rota around the end of May or upon completion of the survey work,” he said.

The secretary said a survey firm has been awarded a survey contract this week. “Its work on Tinian will be coordinated with the director of the DPL when the team gets to the island,” DelRosario said.

“It takes about a month or so for the survey work to be completed and once that is done, homestead recipients will be shown their lots and boundaries,” he added.

DelRosario noted that the current policy giving recipients up to three years to build their first family home would be extended to a six-year period.

“It is a new policy decision addressing realistically accommodating the economic plight of prospective homesteaders,” he said.

The secretary said the survey would commence this week and upon its completion, “all the necessary documents will be finalized for issuance by the governor.”

He encourages all applicants to visit the Tinian DPL Officxe for application updates.

“The turnkey housing program in quadruplexes for Saipan would proceed as planned upon completion of the announcement this month,” he said. “At issue is the number of applicants surpassing what’s available in terms of lots for the first family home and the obvious lack of funds to resolve emplacement of basic infrastructure for new homestead areas.”

“It’s a real challenge given the number of foreclosures that includes the sale of homes on homestead lots,” DelRosario said. “Other than those who qualify for this program, there’s the other half whose fate we must resolve with equal vigor.”

DelRosario pointed out that the decision to build dwellings for qualified homestead applicants on Saipan is based on past and current experiences involving the sale of homestead lots after quitclaim deeds are issued recipients.

“The challenge for applicants under the new program revolves strictly on needs, not wealth acquisition,” he added.[B][I] (DPL)[/I][/B]