Did you know I care about the poor?   Liberal friend claimed that I did not. Right now, I’m on a poor caribbean island where many truly poor people live. Sint Maarten’s population is small (around 43,000 in 2024), and I’ve found that poverty stats are murky, but I did find these: “22% of households had no income, and 42.9% have no secondary education.”

There is basic government aid for some. It’s not a handout or a hand up. it’s more reactive than transformative. In other words, they don’t “live” off the government. Family networks and churches carry the big loads.

I HATE TO SAY THIS! But it appears to me at first glance that our government systems in the USA are flawed in comparison. In most cases, we appear willing to  hand out money to create voters not to help desperate, starving, souls. I think our programs do more harm than help. They actually perpetuate poverty. Regulations are a part of the problem. At a  minimum, they create issues. Here, remarkably,  the poor are all housed in one way or another. It’s funny how this works! There are no homeless camps in this third-world country! Lol! NONE! So don’t tell me how bad things are in the US. Don’t tell me how bad Trump is and how he’s making things worse! Our so-called poor, most of them anyway, are fat and rich by comparison! The ones that want more than drugs have smart phones, the internet, air conditioning, cell phones, government health care, and a monthly free government income and EBT. None of the poor here in Sint Maarten are so lucky. And yet somehow God provides. It’s funny that I find the poor here to be much happier people, too, especially happier than democrats back home.

Let me say more as this is important. Homelessness in Sint Maarten is not as visibly widespread as in some larger urban areas around the world but I’m told it exists in a more subtle and complex form, often tied to the island’s unique socioeconomic challenges. Nothing is extensively documented with up-to-date statistics here, so much of what we know comes from reports on housing struggles, poverty, and post-disaster recovery efforts is limited, and I don’t understand the politics here so I must be reasonable.

The lack of affordable housing is a significant driver here, as it is just about everywhere. Many residents, especially young professionals and low-income workers, struggle to find places to live because rental prices are high—often geared toward tourists like me or wealthier expats—and local wages don’t always keep pace. The average wage is not much higher than $7/hour.  For instance, housing is considered affordable here if it costs no more than 30% of someone’s income, but on Sint Maarten, many spend far more than that, leaving little for other essentials. The St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF), set up in 1996, has built around 800 units to help, but there’s still a waiting list of over 1,500 people, with a chunk of them being younger adults labeled, according to liberal sources, as the “hidden homeless.” These aren’t people sleeping on the streets in large numbers, but rather folks couch-surfing, overcrowding small apartments, or staying with family because they can’t secure their own place.
Hurricane Irma in 2017 made things worse. It trashed 70-80% of the island’s housing, and while recovery has been impressive, not everyone bounced back. The damage was estimated at $442 million for the housing sector alone, and rebuilding has prioritized tourism infrastructure over affordable homes for locals. Some who lost everything never regained stable footing, especially if they didn’t have insurance or savings. Add to that the economic hit from COVID-19, which tanked tourism—the island’s lifeblood—and you’ve got a recipe for more people slipping through the cracks. I’m getting this information  from Grok AI, so I assume it’s correct.

Poverty itself plays a big role, too. With 25% of the population earning less than $2,100 a month and prices for basics like food being steep (most of which is imported), financial stress is common. Still, I have found cooked chicken thighs for a buck at a  Chinese  grocery. Which there exists many, many of these inexpensive alternatives. Still, this can push people into unstable living situations. Crime, tied to poverty, also disrupts communities, making it harder for some to feel secure even if they have a roof overhead. It’s a real thing, crime. But it should not be stifling.

They don’t have a clear count of street homelessness, but anecdotal evidence suggests it’s minimal, and we have not seen any, so we can only compare it to the “hidden” kind. The island’s small size (34 square kilometers) and tight-knit communities mean outright homelessness likely gets absorbed into extended family networks rather than showing up as tent encampments. Still, migrant workers—often in construction or service jobs—and undocumented folks from nearby islands like Haiti or the Dominican Republic can end up in precarious spots, especially if jobs dry up.
Government efforts to address this are patchy. The government leans on tourism revenue, but there’s little mention of robust shelters or direct homelessness programs. The SM Housing Dept is one piece of the puzzle, and there’s talk of solutions like subsidized housing or rent control, but progress is slow. And in my opinion should stop. Cross-border cooperation with the French side (Saint Martin) could help, given shared challenges, but that’s still more idea than action. They are the French!

In short, homelessness in Sint Maarten often hides in plain sight—less about people on the streets and more about families doubling up, workers in shaky rentals, or folks who can’t return after a disaster. It’s a quiet struggle, overshadowed by the island’s sunny, tourist-friendly image, but it’s real nonetheless.

It seems to me a better solution than giving people free money and “assistance,” would ne to have things style s they are. The American  model is no panacea.

In fact, Americans can learn from the hrd eorking people of Sknt Maarten. If poor people in the USA want to eat, they need to hustle a bit more. Figure it out, if you will. There are ways out of poverty without  government  help.

My perspective, although short-lived, is that values like self-reliance over handouts are a better way, and we must unpack it. On Sint Maarten, the idea of hustling to eat resonates with me—people already do it here in a place where tourism drives everything. You’ve got folks selling trinkets on the beach, running small food stands, or picking up odd jobs in construction or boat repairs. The island’s small size and tight community vibe mean there’s a natural lean toward figuring things out informally—family helps family, neighbors trade favors, the church  steps in when needed. That hustle can absolutely lift people up without a government check.

Take the Sint Maarten’s informal economy s an example: street vendors or fishermen don’t need a bureaucracy to tell them how to make a living. They see a need—tourists wanting jerk chicken or fresh catch—and they fill it. Same goes for skills like carpentry or mechanics; after Irma, plenty of locals rebuilt homes or fixed cars without waiting for aid. There’s evidence from other places too—studies show micro-entrepreneurship, even something as simple as a roadside stall, can pull people out of poverty faster than welfare if they’ve got the grit and a bit of know-how.

The flip side? It’s not always that clean-cut. Hustling works best when there’s opportunity to grab—like steady tourist traffic or tools to start with. Post-hurricane, some lost everything: no boat to fish, no stall to sell from. Poverty here isn’t always a lack of hustle; it’s high rents (think $800 for a tiny apartment) and imported food costs eating your hustle’s profits. And undocumented workers? Yes, they have them yoo here. They’re hustling hard but can’t always climb out because legal barriers that block stable gigs. Self-reliance shines when the playing field isn’t a mudslide.

Still, I think my angle holds weight—free money can dull that drive! Poor Americans don’t have this! T least I don’t see it like I see it here!  Look at cash aid programs in the USA: they help short-term, but long-term, most folks get comfy instead of pushing. On Sint Maarten, the SMHDF housing push is a step, but it’s not free—it’s subsidized, and people still have to pay. Better than a handout, sure, but it’s not the whole fix. If the government stepped back and just cleared red tape—say, easing permits for small businesses or cutting taxes on local trade—that might spark more of the hustle I’m talking about. People figuring it out tends to stick better than people waiting for it.

So yeah, there’s a case for letting folks grind their way up. It’s already happening in pockets on this island. I see it with my own eyes. The trick is whether everyone’s got enough of a shot to make it work without some kind of leg-up—or at least a break from the headwinds?

So, yes, it’s difficult here. Life is, too. Still, people will help, too, but initiative is the key.

I believe  strongly that I’m right—life doesn’t hand out easy passes, and Sint Maarten’s no exception. Initiative’s the spark; it’s what turns a rough situation into something manageable. I see it here: someone loses their roof in a storm, and they’re hammering boards back up or bartering with a neighbor for help. People step in—family, friends, even strangers— this is the first move, that willingness to act, that gets the ball rolling.

The island’s setup backs this up. With tourism as the engine, there’s always a hustle to chase—whether it’s guiding a tour, fixing a boat, or grilling fish for a crowd. No one’s waiting for a manual or a government handout; they just do it. And when the community kicks in—like pooling resources to rebuild a house—it’s not charity, it’s mutual survival. That’s stronger than any government program because it’s personal, not paperwork.

I know difficulty’s the filter, though. Not everyone’s got the same starting line—some have tools, health, or a network to lean on; others are scraping from zero. Initiative can still carry you far, but it’s a heavier lift when the basics (roof, food, a gig) are out of reach. Still, the pattern holds: those who push tend to find a way, and help shows up when they do. It’s less about coddling and more about momentum. Life’s tough. So all of us, rich or poor, must trust in God. That’s where the real wins come from.