“So we’re moving on and the [department] secretary [Joseph Kevin Villagomez] is anxious to get it completed. It’s not that we haven’t addressed it but we are already setting it up in the payroll process,” he added.
He noted that the Attorney General’s Office has already issued an opinion upholding the legitimacy of the housing benefits.
Attorney General Edward T. Buckingham said the CNMI government can still provide housing allowance to off-island hires despite the passage of a law repealing the privilege two years ago.
Many of those who receive government housing allowances work for Public Health.
Each of CHC’s nurses and doctors with dependents receive $800 in monthly housing allowance, while those without dependents receive $600.
Untalan said the housing benefits are provided to employees in “hard-to-fill specialized position” such as nursing, respiratory therapy, and physical therapy.
Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, earlier said a 2005 law was supposed to end the housing benefits in 2007.
