Delegate Donna M. Christian-Christensen announced Friday that grants have been awarded to several Virgin Islands agencies.
A release from the delegate's office listed the following grant awards:
– The Government of the Virgin Islands will receive $2,288,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant and Emergency Shelter Grant programs to improve housing rehabilitation, public services, operation and essential services for the homeless, in order to benefit low and very moderate-income residents.
– The Virgin Islands Energy Office will receive $286,219 from the U.S. Department of Energy to renew the State Energy program. The funding also includes left over funds from a previous institutional grant.
– The VI Law Enforcement Planning Commission will receive $1,246,100 from the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice for the FY 1999 Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant Program (JAIBG). The program is designed to promote greater accountability in the juvenile justice system.
– The V.I. Housing Authority has been awarded $45,798 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to retain or employ the services of up to one Section 8 Family Self-Sufficiency program coordinator for one year. The Section 8 FSS program is intended to promote the development of local strategies to coordinate the use of assistance under the Section 8 rental certificate and rental voucher programs with public and private resources, to enable participating families to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency.
Christensen congratulated the groups for pursuing and obtaining much needed funding to continue providing services and programs to Virgin Islands residents.