Business View caribbean - Aug 2023

23 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 10, ISSUE 8 The momentum doesn’t stop there. In the following year, 2024, the Authority expects to deliver between 200 to 320 units. By the subsequent years, the production will stabilize at 300 units per annum. Weathering the Storm: Hurricane Recovery and Its Challenges The aftermath of the 2017 hurricane was devastating. “We have 3000 units of public housing and 10% of that was destroyed,” Graham reflects, illustrating the magnitude of the damage. One development, Tutu High Rise, was hit particularly hard—300 units were destroyed, and 264 households were displaced. It took about nine to ten months to relocate them, mostly through vouchers provided by HUD. “We must acknowledge that HUD right there to help us by providing funding for the vouchers in 30 days after the huricanes that is unprecedented, Graham explained. Graham articulates the urgency, “Replacing that development was one of our priorities of the 300 units. So, we’re replacing that 300 units in three phases.” The 84 units of Donoe is one phase and the 60- unit seniors is part of the second phase, with Lydia Pelle, Chief Operating Officer and Architect at Virgin Islands Housing Authority, confirming that the remaining phases are 92 and another 60 units. However, the recovery process was not without its roadblocks. The slow release of funds was a significant hindrance. Despite these obstacles, Graham takes pride in the Authority’s aggressive plan to replace its aging public housing inventory. He concedes, “It has been a challenge. But we knew exactly what we needed to do, and that was to replace the whole inventory.” Convincing all the stakeholders of the viability of its plan was time- consuming but necessary. With the strong support of our outstanding Board of Commissioners, the eventual buy-in from VIRGIN ISLANDS HOUSING AUTHORI TY (VIHA) Before BEFORE RENDERING