HDC on mission to collect $244M in outstanding debt

Tenants and homeowners owe the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) $244 million and corporation is making efforts to collect the money, some of which has been outstanding for 28 years.

HDC managing director Jearlean John has described the situation as "alarming" but said the HDC is having some success in getting the outstanding money. 

She told the Express newspaper the HDC has established a specialised collections unit, which is trying to recover the growing debt. The paper said one official said the HDC has has recovered about $56 million since then. It's aiming to collect about $10 a month.

The official said the areas with the highest rate of delinquency are La Horquetta, Tarouba, Pleasantville, Oropune, Malabar and Maloney.

The official said the HDC will evict those who refuse to pay. "A person who has been consistently delinquent and who do not intend to make payments, we will not hesitate to evict," the official told the paper.

John said the HDC's policy is give people all the opportunities to clear their debt. "We will write you, we will work with you in order to recover the money owed,'' she said. She has urged people to honour their commitment to the HDC.