bvc_june2017

68 69 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS HOUSING AUTHORITY T he Virgin Islands Housing Author- ity (VIHA) is a public housing cor- poration that operates under the provisions of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended, the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, and the Virgin Islands Code. The birth of VIHA dates back to 1941, when the municipal coun- cils of both St. Thomas-St. John and St. Croix passed an ordinance creating municipal housing authorities in a single agency: the Virgin Islands Housing and Redevelopment Authority (VIHRA), with tri-island jurisdiction. In 1962, Act No. 903 of the Virgin Islands Legislature established the agency as the Virgin Islands Housing Authority. VIHA is empowered with the responsibility for planning, financing, constructing, maintaining, and managing public housing developments on the islands of St. Croix and St.Thomas. Its mis- sion statement is as follows: “To create vibrant, HOUSING AUTHORITY THE VIRGIN ISLANDS PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE TERRITORY