Posh government-built condos brew scandal, Hoy reports

Santo Domingo.- Nearly four months after president Leonel Fernandez cut the ribbon for the three-condo complex El Progreso on Luperón avenue, the manner in which its 180, as yet unoccupied apartments were assigned continues shrouded in mystery, with details undisclosed thus far.

Sources quoted by news source hoy.com.do affirm that the Government would provide a RD$2.0 million bond to lower rate of the potential financing given the high cost of the units, of RD$7.3 million, a figure which Hoy couldn’t confirm.

Hoy reporter Odalis Mejia also revealed that senior military officials and leaders of the ruling PLD party pressured to be included on the list to get a condo, but they had already been assigned for some time.

She said the requests have already exceeded the number of apartments, whose construction was criticized by the civic group Alternative City, because “taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be used to build luxury apartments”.

And though the financing will be through the State-owned bank Reservas, the National Housing Institute (INVI) is the government agency which submits the list of beneficiaries.

When Hoy asked Reservas about the requirements to apply for one of the apartments, they were told that handles that the INVI with discretion. “You know how those Government topics are handled,” said an employee.

And despite that the INVI has reiterated that the apartments would be available for any middle class professional, Mejia reports they could be acquired only by high income people, since just the maintenance service costs RD$18,000 monthly.