HUD To Award $1.6 Billion In Disaster Relief Fund To U.S. Virgin Islands

WASHINGTON – At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) Secretary Ben Carson, Deputy Secretary Pamela Hughes Patenaude and U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp will hold a joint news conference to discuss the disaster recovery funds the U.S. Virgin Island is receiving to facilitate the territory’s recovery process following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, H.U.D. announced today.

During the joint event, H.U.D. will announce $1.6 billion in funding to the territory, Government House has said.

During Mr. Mapp’s Friday press conference where Dept. of Education-related announcements were made, the governor eluded to the funding, which he said would have eclipsed H.U.D.’s recent funding to the U.S.VI. of $243 million.

The press conference will be streamed online at https://www.hud.gov/webcasts/schedule.  For details on required system requirements, visit HUD’s website. 

The announcement strengthens the governor’s chances as the territory moves into the 2018 election season. Mr. Mapp continues to secure critical federal aid to rebuild the territory. The governor has also been eluding to a major announcement to be made in the next few weeks.

When the $243 million H.U.D. grant was announced in February, the governor said the funding would hasten the placement of residents in homes. “I’m told that you’re going to see within months the beginning of the demolition of Tutu High Rise. You will see the plans that we have for the restoration of housing stock beginning to take place. You will see the two housing communities that we’re developing — one on St. Thomas, one on St. Croix,” Mr. Mapp said in February. “There are about a 1,000 individuals that are shovel-ready that have been qualified for mortgages under the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority. These funds are going to hasten homes and communities for these individuals.”

The pending announcement of $1.6 billion will further quicken the process of placing displaced residents into homes — even as the 2018 hurricane season looms.