Nakayama, a widow and the lone breadwinner of the family shared her predicament with Variety.
“Yes, we only have until Monday to stay here. Until now, we don’t know where to go. But I am looking now.”
She said moving to another village would be difficult not only for her but for her children who go to school as they do not have the means of transportation.
“I couldn’t move to Dandan as I only walk to work every day,” she said as she described her situation.
Trying to be tough for her five children and three grandchildren, Nakayama said she earns $5.05 per hour in one of the big hotels on island.
Of the five children, all but one were born in Chuuk.
With her meager earnings, Nakayama said she’s conflicted with trying to make ends meet.
“Feeding my children is my priority over anything else,” she said.
Asked why they’re vacating the unit they’re renting for $35 a month, Nakayama said they had been advised that they lack the pertinent documents in support of their lease.
Originally from Chuuk, Nakayama said she moved to Saipan eight years ago because she would like her children to attend school on Saipan. “I want my kids to attend school here because schools in Chuuk are not really good.”
According to the latest Government Accountability Office report on Compact Impact costs, the poor quality of Freely Associated State schools, limited language skills and experience with a school environment and language barriers make Compact migrant children lag academically.
While her children attended school, Nakayama worked for the garment industry. She had been working for three and half years since she moved to Saipan when family obligation called her back to Chuuk to take care of her ailing mother.
Back on Saipan, life became harder when her husband passed away. Nakayama took on the full responsibilities of the both caregiver and head of the family.
Out of her earnings working for a hotel, Nakayama buys the basic necessities.
She told Variety her utilities fluctuate between $170 to $200 a month.
Her utility bill eats up 25 percent of her monthly gross income.
Nakayama and her five children have to survive on about $500 a month.
Asked again by Variety what was the reason her lease agreement had been terminated, she offered the following explanation, “I am late in submitting documents and I didn’t come to the renewal of the lease.”
Nakayama, and her now departed husband Josiuo T. Nakayama, signed the lease agreement with the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. on Feb. 4, 2002.
Nakayama admitted to Variety that at the time of her lease renewal, she was having a rough patch. She said she had been jailed and it was her boyfriend who called the police.
Nakayama, who wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every day so she could start walking to work at 5 a.m. in time for the morning shift at the hotel, said she was told by NMHC that her agreement was no longer in the system.
“I was told that it’s been eight months that I am no longer in the system anymore,” she said.
Nakayama said another family had been displaced last week.
She said a neighbor who has six school-age children had vacated the unit his family had been renting last week.
Asked on the whereabouts of her neighbor, Nakayama could not offer an answer.
The lease agreement
The lease agreement signed by Jesmy L. Nakayama and her husband Yosiuo on Feb. 4, 2002 stated that the tenant agreed to pay $35 per month — this is less than the market or unsubsidized rent for the unit.
It was also clear in the agreement that upon termination of the agreement, landlord or NMHC may assign the unit to another tenant and tenant will be required to pay the U.S. Housing and Urban Development-approved market rent for the unit.
It was also stipulated in the agreement that the tenant agrees not to sublet or assign the unit, permit noises or acts that disturb the peace of the neighbors, have pets, or engage in criminal activity whether in the unit or elsewhere or any other unlawful activity.
The landlord, as stated in the agreement, agrees to give the tenant written notice of the proposed termination.
The tenant is given 10 calendar days from the date of the issuance of the notice of proposed termination to meet with the NMHC to discuss the proposed termination.
Variety learned that NMHC as the housing landlord provided the notice to the tenant and gave the tenant the opportunity to request an informal hearing.
Not in compliance
Variety checked with the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. to see if something could be done to keep evicted families off the streets.
Variety asked what are the reasons that tenants are evicted of the units, NMHC Program and Housing Division manager Zerlyn Taimanao said, “They are not in compliance with HUD housing regulations.”
Taimanao said the tenants must maintain power and water in the units they are renting.
She said those to be evicted or have been evicted had been given 30 days notice.
She said within 30 days, the tenants are given the opportunity to have an informal hearing.
She also said tenants who do not request in writing waive their right to an informal hearing.
For those who have been found with no utility connection can present a copy of the CUC receipt as proof that the obligation has been settled.
“As long as they provide us a copy of the receipt that they paid reconnection fee we will not evict them,” she said.
It’s the tenants’ responsibility to maintain power and water connection.
Based on HUD regulations, not having utility connection is a major deficiency as it is considered a health and safety violation.
“We try to work with tenants. But we do have regulations that we need to follow,” said Taimanao.
The NMHC board, in the previous board meetings, had made it clear that they would like to help the people as much as they could.
