Senators have heard from the Turnbull administration’s 23 candidates vying for more than $2.2 million in Community Development Block Grant funding and now must vote on the recommendations.
Originally, some 80 proposals totaling more than $9 million from local nonprofit groups and government agencies were received by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the agency that oversees the program locally. But CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development amounted to a little more than $2.2 million.
The Turnbull administration and DPNR whittled the 46 St. Thomas, 26 St. Croix and eight St. John applicants down to 23. Each district will receive approximately $877,000, with the balance used for administration of the program and public-service projects.
The final tally that must be approved by the Senate, expected to take place on Sept. 20, includes 11 projects from St. Croix, nine on St. Thomas and three on St. John.
On St. Croix, public service projects include:
— $300,000 for Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital to match Hurricane Georges recovery funds for the installation of hurricane shutters;
— $200,000 for V.I. Advocacy Inc. to upgrade its Estate Carlton building to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements;
— $142,000 for Our Town Frederiksted to rehabilitate homes in Frederiksted;
— $85,000 to the V.I Housing Authority to match Hurricane Georges disaster recovery funding for the installation of hurricane shutters at the Joseph E. James Terrace elderly housing community;
— $30,000 for V.I. Partners in Recovery Inc.’s lease of its Herman Hill male substance abuse recovery facility;
— $25,000 for Camp Arawak’s youth job training program;
— $25,000 for Camp Arawak’s after-school program for children from low- to moderate-income families;
— $20,000 for the V.I. Resource Center for the Disabled to operate an after-school program at Ricardo Richards Elementary School;
— $20,000 for Career Directions Inc.’s summer program for children from low- to moderate-income families;
— $15,000 for The Nurturing Minds Development Center to establish a literacy program for children from low- to moderate-income families;
— $15,000 for the Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation to operate a sports training program for children from low- to moderate-income families.
On St. Thomas and St. John, the projects include:
— $325,000 for the construction of the Guy Benjamin Community Center in Coral Bay;
— $253,000 for potable water line installation at Contant Knolls;
— $142,000 for the Family Resources Center to acquire a building;
— $35,000 for the V.I. Resource Center for the Disabled to run training programs;
— $30,000 for storm shutters at the Lucinda Millin Home;
— $25,000 for the Down Street after-school program;
— $25,000 for the Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation’s recreation programs;
— $22,500 for the Anglican Outreach after-school program;
— $20,000 for the St. John Community Foundation’s after-school program;
— $20,000 for the V.I. Mission after-school program;
— $15,000 for KidsCope to fund services for child victims and their families;
— $10,000 for Global Life after-school program;
— $9,100 for the Savaneros after-school program;
— $7,500 for the Ulla Muller Elementary School after-school program.
