HOME - American Rescue Plan (full text)
February 10, 2023
NOTICE OF HOME-ARP ALLOCATION
In accordance with the federal regulations at 24 CFR, Part 91, notice is hereby given to residents of the US Virgin Islands that the Territory has been awarded the sum of $3,325,878 in HOME-ARP funds in a one-time allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law to address the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, public health, State and local governments, individuals, and businesses. To address the need for homelessness assistance and supportive services, Congress appropriated $5 billion in ARP funds to be administered under the HOME-American Rescue Plan (“HOME-ARP”) to perform activities that primarily benefit certain individuals and families in various “qualifying populations” as follows: (1) homeless, as defined in section 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 11302(a)) (“McKinney-Vento”); (2) at risk of homelessness, as defined in section 401 of McKinney-Vento; (3) fleeing, or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking; (4) other populations where provision of supportive services or assistance would prevent a family’s homelessness or would serve those with the greatest risk of housing instability; or (5) veterans and families that include a veteran family member that meet the criteria in one of categories (1)-(4) above.
HOME-ARP funds must be used to benefit the qualifying populations through the four eligible activities: (1) production (development) or preservation (rehabilitation) of affordable housing, (2) tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA), (3) provision of supportive services including services defined at 24 CFR 578.53(e), homeless prevention services, and housing counseling; and (4) acquisition and development of non-congregate shelter units.
The Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority will administer the HOME-ARP funds on behalf of the Territory. To receive its HOME-ARP funds, the Territory must develop an allocation plan which describes how it intends to distribute HOME-ARP funds, including how it will use these funds to address the needs of qualifying populations. Before developing its HOME-ARP allocation plan, the Territory must engage in consultation with agencies and service providers whose clientele include the HOME-ARP qualifying populations.
To encourage public input in the process, a virtual public hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, to discuss the proposed allocation of HOME-ARP funds. The meeting link and additional details about the public hearing will be published at a later date.
For more information about the HOME-ARP initiative, please contact please contact Ms. Janine Hector, Federal Programs Director, at (340) 772-4432, ext. 3234 or via e-mail at jhector@vihfa.gov.