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CHC 1-month housing allowance finally released
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Posted on Apr 26 2012
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Reporter
Employees of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. finally received their promised one-month housing allowance, board chair Joaquin Torres confirmed yesterday.
Torres said the housing benefit was transferred yesterday afternoon to employees’ accounts. The issuance of the promised checks was supposed to come in Friday last week but was delayed because of the ongoing system upgrade at the corporation.
Hospital personnel interviewed yesterday on condition of anonymity expressed some dismay, citing that come next week, delay in housing perks will now become five months-from January to May. Benefit issued yesterday covers the month of December 2011.
A longtime nurse at the hospital shared that the amount she received yesterday will be used as partial payment for her housing expenses.
“I had to cut on almost everything just to survive. I hope the corporation will continue to pay our housing allowance, at least one month each payroll, so we can catch up also with our obligations,” said said.
Each month, the corporation incurs $134,000 in paying for the housing perks of employees who were hired outside of the Commonwealth. Since the time of the public health department, single employee who was hired from off-island is provided $600 monthly housing allowance while $800 for those with families. Saipan Tribune learned that there are an estimated over 100 employees receiving this benefit, mostly are nurses.
Because of the scarce financial situation of the corporation, the management and the board are now looking into the following options: terminating, suspending, or cutting the housing benefit by half.
The corporation petitioned its nonresident employees for contract workers’ visa, or CW, which stipulated that said housing assistance will “depend on the availability of funds.”
