WILLEMSTAD - On October 20, 2023, the Social and Economic Council (SER) received a request for advice from the Parliament regarding the draft island ordinance amendment on the acquisition of public housing ownership in Curaçao (Session Year 2023-2024-214, ref. no. 110/2023-SER). This request was made based on Article 2, second paragraph, of the National Ordinance Social and Economic Council (A.B. 2010, No. 87, annex p.), as amended by PB. 2017, No. 70. The accompanying advice was discussed and adopted during the extraordinary plenary SER meeting on June 28, 2024, and was issued to Parliament on July 3, 2024. 

In light of recent media reports, the SER deems it important to further clarify its position briefly. The SER based its advice on current legislation and thoroughly examined the issue from various perspectives. The proposed legislative amendment aims to ease the existing possibilities for the sale of public housing, which has been assessed for its societal merits. A significant consideration involves the maintenance costs of existing public housing for the government. Additionally, the interests of current and future tenants played a crucial role in the advice. 

The SER emphasizes that the government must take actions to ensure a sound public housing policy in the general interest. It should carefully consider under what conditions the expansion of the possibility to sell public housing can occur.