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More Money Needed for Housing, Officials Say

April 20, 2009 — Efforts are still underway to build the territory's affordable-housing stock, but in the midst of the current economic crisis, money is what's really in demand, housing officials told senators Monday.
For example, there are currently no local funds for emergency housing, V.I. Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) Executive Director Clifford Graham said during Monday's meeting of the Housing, Sports and Veterans' Affairs Committee. Meanwhile, the agency is supposed to get 30 percent of local stamp-tax revenues annually, but the government is now about $12 million behind on the payments. The government is expected to cut a check soon for about $3.6 million, but before that no funding has come in since fiscal year 2006, he said.
The V.I. Housing Authority (VIHA), currently under the control of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), could also use some more money for its Section 8 Voucher Program, said VIHA federal receiver Robert Graham. The authority gets about $10 million annually from HUD for the program, but as the waiting list of applicants continues to grow, the pool of money continues to shrink, he said.
"In other words, without additional funding, it would take over 20 years to get to the families recently applying for vouchers," Robert Graham said.
Advocating for the release of another $1.8 million already appropriated by the Legislature, Robert Graham said the authority is continuing to repair vacant long-term apartments throughout the territory — a project that's projected to cost upwards of $200 million.
"Our public housing inventory has been neglected for so long that we must replace our plumbing systems, upgrade our electrical systems and improve our curb appeal so that our residents will be proud to live in our much-improved housing developments," he said.
More housing for the homeless is also a concern, said Lynn Spencer, chairwoman of the V.I. Continuum of Care on Homelessness. While the Continuum is also primarily funded through HUD grants, there is still a need for more local money and resources for not-for-profits providing services for the homeless, she said.
"At this time, the economic impact on the homeless providers is affected by both the unavailability or reduction of federal or local funding and a significant decline in local contributions," Spencer said. "The limited financial support from the local government is inadequate to address even the current mission to aid the homeless in almost every existing organization."
But Monday's meeting wasn't all doom and gloom — both authorities are making strides, officials said. The Housing Finance Authority inherited some problems when various programs previously under Housing, Parks and Recreation were transferred over, but so far the authority has been able to collect about $1.1 million in accounts receivables and tighten its lending policies, among other things.
While financial support is still coming in from the federal government, Housing Finance has also worked with the local government on a "timely" release of funding when needed, Clifford Graham said. VIHFA has also completed more than 30 townhouses, one single-family accessible home and a 21-lot subdivision on St. Croix, as well as five single-family homes, 22 new subdivision lots and conversion of nine single-family rental units on St. Thomas and St. John.
The Calabash Boom project on St. John is also underway, with nine families already moved into the rental component, according to its developer.
Meanwhile, the Housing Authority has made a promise to fill every available public-housing unit on St. Thomas by Thanksgiving, Robert Graham said. On St. Croix, full occupancy is tentatively set for the first quarter of 2010. The $1.8 million expected from the local government would add to $9.4 million in economic-stimulus funds through HUD that would be put toward repairing 128 long-term vacant units on St. Croix; demolishing four buildings in the Tutu Hi-Rise Housing Community; and repairing the exterior of 75 buildings in housing complexes in both districts, he said.
In other action, the committee approved a bill limiting the liability for property owners that make land, water and park areas available to the government for public use.
Present during Monday's meeting were Sens. Craig W. Barshinger, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, Louis P. Hill, Wayne James, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Patrick Simeon Sprauve, Michael Thurland and Celestino A. White Sr.
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