Committee Update On Disaster Recovery Projects and Programs

October 5, 2022 press release update: Members of the Committee on Disaster Recovery and Infrastructure, chaired by Senator Janelle K. Sarauw convened in a meeting at the Capitol Building. The Virgin Islands was awarded a total of $1,887,330,884 from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery, Mitigation, and Electrical Grid award. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-MIT) will fund hazard mitigation activities within the Territory for $744,188,000 while the remaining $67,653,000 supports electrical grid improvements. The Office of the Inspector General is conducting two audits to ensure that VIHFA is compliant with the federal guidelines and performance measures for the VI Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR). The EnVIsion Program is providing services to a total of thirty-nine homes, of which thirty-two are on St. Croix and seven are on St. Thomas, that are currently under construction. To increase the number of home construction projects, VIHFA awarded Persons Service Corp, a general contractor, to provide construction services to 172 homes. VIHFA aims to reduce multiple solicitations from contractors to one contractor per 100 homes. Overall, lawmakers were not impressed with the slow progress of home construction projects. There is concern for homes in the Territory that are still utilizing blue tarps, issued to residents with damaged roofs since 2017. To date, there are homes in the Virgin Islands that are covered with tarps that are in disarray. The governor must be held accountable, no matter the excuses around it. These homes are not being repaired. The plan is to eliminate the use of tarps and increase home roof repairs. The assistance of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis was also granted with a concentration on individuals who are receiving homeless assistance, and to expand homeless assistance/homeless prevention activities to mitigate the impacts of COVID -19. A total of $702,000 was expended with that balance to be utilized by the September 30, 2023, deadline.