Mapp, HUD secretary announce $1.6 billion in additional disaster funding for U.S. Virgin Islands

Gov. Kenneth E. Mapp and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson announced in Washington on April 11, 2018, that the U.S. Virgin Islands would receive $1.6 billion in additional Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding.

According to Government House, the money was designated for repair and reconstruction of private and public housing, economic revitalization, and infrastructure rebuilding and resiliency.

The announcement said the funding was part of supplemental disaster aid included in a federal spending bill approved in early February 2018. It said the new allocation was in addition to $243 million in HUD funding provided to the territory in February 2018.

Government House said the grants would be administered through the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, which would submit recovery project proposals to HUD for approval. Anticipated projects included repairs or reconstruction of public and senior housing and emergency shelters, upgrades to the power distribution system, dredging of Charlotte Amalie harbor, road reconstruction, and improvements to telecommunications and wastewater systems.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/u-s-virgin-islands-governor-and-hud-secretary-announce-1-6-billion-in-additional-hud-disaster-funding/