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2-year stay on revocation of homestead permits sought
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Posted on Jul 02 2020
A lawmaker has asked the Department of Public Lands to suspend the revocation of homestead permits for at least two years.
In a letter to Public Lands Secretary Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo, Sen. Teresita A. Santos (Ind-Rota) appealed for a two-year moratorium, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. “The unprecedented…pandemic has wreaked havoc on residents’ finances, especially for the hundreds of government workers who have been furloughed or terminated. These economic setbacks most certainly challenge our homesteaders’ financial capability to meet the requirements of the homestead program. I humbly ask that you consider placing a moratorium on the revocation of homesteads until such time that the CNMI is COVID-19 free and homesteaders are gainfully employed,” Santos said.
The moratorium, according to the senator, will give homesteaders “breathing room” for more immediate costs, without having to worry about losing their land. “We must remember that each homestead is an asset to the eventual owner. Thus a homestead can be used productively in the future to help the owner recover from losses incurred during the pandemic,” she added.
Since last year, the department has been reviewing homesteads and revoking permits that were awarded 15 years ago, where a home has not been built yet—which is one of the requirements of the program. DPL also provided leeway for homesteaders whose homes were damaged by storms.
As a mandate of the CNMI Constitution, the department is required to dispose of public lands, including village and agricultural homesteads.
Senate Bill 21-63, which would amend the Constitution to prohibit DPL from revoking village or agricultural homestead permits after being approved or issued, got recommended for further discussion at the Senate Committee on Resources, Economic Development and Programs meeting Tuesday. S.B. 21-63 was authored by Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz (R-Tinian).
