WASHINGTON - This week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the release of $100 million in Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation funds to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The funds are available for the purchase of fuel storage infrastructure benefitting the Islands, streamlining the fuel delivery process and increasing energy security and resilience on the Islands.

“As a proud native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, I understand the impact of an unpredictable electric system,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Virgin Islanders should not have to worry about losing power every day; business owners should be able to open their stores and restaurants confidently to serve customers. This funding is an investment in a better future. It is our strong expectation that local leadership will carry out their plan with the urgency and professionalism that this moment demands.”

After Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the USVI received supplemental CDBG Disaster Recovery (DR) and Mitigation (MIT) funds for long-term disaster recovery as well as funds for mitigation of damages from future storms. Many of these funds are being used by the USVI to repair, upgrade, and update the electrical generation and distribution systems. This $100 million release represents just a portion of that investment.

“Electrical system reliability enhances the long-term resilience and sustainability of the territory’s infrastructure,” said Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “Maintaining the operability of hospitals, industry, commerce and peoples’ homes and businesses is the foundation of a thriving community. We worked closely with the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority team to ensure the availability of these funds.”

For more information, please refer to the USVI’s Action Plans that describe all the CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT investments at https://cdbgdr.vihfa.gov/. To learn about the CDBG-MIT program please visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/cdbg-mit/