Ed Jennings, regional administrator for the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, told about 100 Virgin Islanders gathered Wednesday for the groundbreaking of Phase II of the Louis E. Brown Villas in Frederiksted, “You are doing more than just providing affordable housing; you are providing education and access to broadband.”
The second phase of the project includes a senior building with 36 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units, and is part of the first affordable housing development to be built by the V.I. Housing Authority in two decades.
The first phase, which opened more than a year ago, had 100 new, energy-efficient apartments with solar hot water heaters, low-flow water faucets and rainwater-collecting cisterns. The redevelopment plan will ultimately create 244 one- to three-bedroom units for families and seniors, all with energy-efficient appliances.
“I love living here,” said Ifa Masse, a tenant at Louis E. Brown Villas. “It’s very quiet and peaceful. It’s a good place to raise my son.” She added her electric bill has been around $150.
The villas have a clubhouse, fitness center, laundry center and a state-of-the-art security system. There is a community room, a library, an exercise room, as well as a playground, gardens and landscaping composed of native, drought-resistant plants.
The villas’ new computer center is funded through the territory’s V.I. Next Generation Network broadband expansion project.
Wallington and Phyllis Douglas, residents at the Louis E. Brown Villas, spoke about the facilities to the crowd.
Wallington Douglas said it was great for young people to have access to the computer center. “They can elevate themselves to higher heights,” he said.
“It’s so nice to be able to sleep with the windows open and feel safe,” Phyllis Douglas said.
Robert Graham, executive director of V.I. Housing Authority, said there are 102 families living in the villas. “We are building to our mother’s standards,” he said. “We would gladly put our mothers in here.”
Graham said that in partnership with HUD, the V.I. Housing Authority promises to repair every vacant apartment in the territory within 24 months. “There will be attractive affordable, decent housing for everyone,” Graham said.
This project generated roughly $32 million worth of investment to the community, including 120 local construction jobs, according to information from Housing and Urban Development.
The housing is available to local residents earning 60 percent of the area median income or less, which is $18,660 or less on St. Croix.
Among those attending the groundbreaking ceremony were Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Sandra Henriquez, Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis, Robert Graham, V.I. Energy Office Director Karl Knight, senators and corporate officials from co-developer Carlisle Development Group.
In Knight’s opening remarks, he noted the development had a 100-killowatt solar system that was supplying power to common areas. Knight said the development was a sign of what the future held for the Virgin Islands.
The redevelopment is being financed with $20 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the V.I. Housing Finance Authority, along with $12 million from HUD through VIHA. The tax credits allow developers to deduct a percentage of the development costs from the company’s federal tax obligation.
Louis E. Brown, for whom the villas are named, was a St. Croix native who served in several high-level posts in the V.I. government, including as commissioner of Agriculture and Labor. Born in 1917, Brown served in World War II before returning home and pursuing a career in public service.
