Housing Finance Authority describes home‑ownership and emergency programs; nonprofits report unspent ESG/CDBG grants and probate delays hamper repairs

The Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) told senators March 28 it continues to run several homeownership and housing‑stability programs while nonprofit partners and legislators pressed the authority and related agencies about unspent federal funds and delays tied to property ownership documentation.

Program overview and outreach: VIHFA Executive Director Eugene Jones summarized the agency’s homeownership offerings — including a homestead program, veterans’ loans and moderate‑income products — and said the agency is conducting homebuyer education classes and one‑on‑one counseling. Director of Homeownership Freda Webster described recent classes and one‑on‑one counseling sessions and said VIHFA holds seven‑week homebuyer courses and school‑based financial‑literacy outreach.

Emergency rental, homeowner and foreclosure assistance: VIHFA described its role in administering emergency rental assistance (ERAP) and the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). The authority said the territory has received $23.3 million (ERAP 1 and 2 combined) with $5.5 million delivered in the most recent tranche; testimony said VIHFA has committed about $17.9 million and distributed more than $11.6 million to date. On homeowner assistance, Jones said the territory received about $8.5 million in HAF and the agency has processed more than 200 applications and disbursed about $4.3 million so far; HAF assistance can reach up to $65,000 per eligible homeowner and funds are scheduled to remain available through Sept. 30, 2026.

Probate and home‑repair delays: Senators and nonprofit witnesses raised a recurring barrier: many homeowners who seek Envision Home Repair or other repair grants lack clear title or probate documents. VIHFA legal staff said a voluntary probate assistance program started in 2021 had enrolled a small number of applicants but that a St. Croix superior‑court opinion limited VIHFA’s role; VIHFA staff said they are awaiting a St. Thomas court decision on submitted probate petitions. Testimony said probate in the territory can take “at least 3 to 5 years or more, significantly longer than the 6 to 18 months typically in other jurisdictions.” That delay is slowing some Envision and homeowner‑repair work.

Unspent federal grants and ESG/CDBG concerns: Nonprofits told the committee they continue to see urgent housing needs while some federal grants intended for shelters, transitional housing and related services remain underused or tied up by administrative delays. VIHFA’s ARPA administrator, Monet Francis Gardner, said the territory’s ERAP had received the final tranche in January and that about $6 million remained available; she listed phone numbers and expanded hours for residents seeking assistance. On CDBG and ESG funds, VIHFA staff said several multi‑year CDBG‑DR and ESG allocations are committed to subrecipients but some drawdown and procurement steps remain pending; staff described extensions HUD granted for certain grant deadlines and said VIHFA is finalizing subrecipient agreements.

What legislators asked for: Committee members pressed VIHFA and nonprofits to speed procurements, to support probate clarity for home‑repair recipients, and to publish more timely lists of available resources and contact points so constituents know where to apply for assistance. Several senators urged quicker use of available ESG/CDBG funds to meet immediate needs and to reduce the backlog of homeless persons and shelter requests.

The article quotes testimony from Eugene Jones (Executive Director, Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority), Monet Francis Gardner (ARP administrator, VIHFA) and nonprofit representatives at the March 28 committee hearing.