CDBG-DR

Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery

Hurricanes Irma and Maria had a devastating impact on the United States Virgin Islands. The two back-to-back Category 5 storms in September 2017 caused significant destruction to housing, infrastructure, and the economy. HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) provides funding for unmet needs after Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, insurance, and other federal or private sources are accounted for, with a focus on the needs of low- and moderate-income residents and businesses.

On November 20, 2023, the Office of Disaster Recovery became a sub-recipient of the territory’s CDBG-DR funds. Through this expansion, ODR is centralizing disaster recovery efforts and fostering synergy across activities within the program and with external stakeholders. As a subrecipient, the ODR is tasked with providing pragmatic oversight to include day-to-day operations and program management. The Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority remains the recipient of HUD funding and, in turn, the managing entity, which includes orchestrating the movement of funds between HUD and the territory as well as environmental, compliance, and policy administration.

These CDBG-DR funds are intended by HUD to address:

1. Unmet needs in housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization from the 2017 hurricanes.
2. Mitigation activities to protect the territory from the damage of future events.