Millions $$ Coming to the Territory, Slow to Get to the Neediest
If you are having trouble paying your rent in the Virgin Islands because of COVID-19-related issues, help is on the way. And if you are lucky, you will get that help before being thrown out of your home.
2022-01-14 12:15:14 - VI News Staff
Jenifer O’Neal, director of the Office of Management and Budget, Wednesday told the Senate Committee on Disaster Recovery and Infrastructure Thursday that plenty of money was available. She said $6 million for supplemental housing vouchers was now targeted for qualified renters under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Those funds come out of $46 million allotted for services to disproportionately impacted communities.
Sen. Kurt Vialet questioned why this $6 million was needed when the territory already had $18 million from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
Daryl Griffith, executive director of the Housing Finance Authority, said the additional $6 million was to assist residents who were not eligible under the first program because of income limitations.
Griffith said his agency was able to process about 20 checks a week and about 600 individuals appeared at present to be eligible for them.
Vialet said at that rate eligible residents could wait four or five months for their checks. Griffith replied staffing was the problem. He said seven staff members were determining eligibility and processing checks. He added that the Authority had been advertising to get new employees for months.
Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger indicated she was not satisfied with this answer to what she called “an urgent situation.” She said, “We need to get this money distributed. Landlords are going under.”
Vialet said, “Individuals are getting thrown out of their homes.”
Griffith said he had hoped to hire 20 employees to do the job that the seven are doing but some applicants are not qualified, and others are not interested in temporary jobs.