Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Lack of affordable housing in USVI leading to increased homelessness- Officials say

Lack of affordable housing in USVI leading to increased homelessness- Officials say

The lack of adequate affordable housing is contributing to elevated levels of homelessness in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), keeping people in emergency shelters well over the allotted timeframe.
The lack of adequate affordable housing is contributing to elevated levels of homelessness in the territory, keeping people in emergency shelters well over the allotted timeframe.

“If you can’t find a permanent supportive housing location for someone who’s in transitional housing to move into, now you don’t have that transitional housing spot opening up for someone who’s in the emergency shelter,” said Richard Bourne-Vanneck, chair of the Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands. Mr Bourne-Vanneck was speaking to members of the Senate Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications during a hearing on Monday.

With limited emergency housing available, the situation further displaces people in need of shelter, he said.

Increase in homelessness reported

Department of Human Services Commissioner Kimberley-Causey Gomez agreed, noting that nonprofit agencies are reporting an increase in homelessness. The agencies, who receive funding to support placement, say that housing resources previously available have dwindled in the face of the growing short-term rental market, and because hotel rooms have become scarcer as tourism booms.

“Other challenges expressed by nonprofits include fiscal delays due to bureaucratic processes. Landlords are reluctant to participate in housing programs to assist [the] homeless because it takes so long for a potential tenant to be placed, delaying receipt of rental revenue streams,” the DHS commissioner added.

Ms Causey-Gomez explained that homelessness can occur if someone moves to the Virgin Islands to work, has difficulty finding employment and is financially unable to return home; if someone misses a paycheck and now faces the threat of eviction; or if someone’s salary is simply unable to keep up with the rising cost of living, among other contributing factors.

Mr Bourne-Vanneck says that the needs of unhoused people are different based on what he described as the “spectrum of homelessness.” Some people need emergency accommodation, others require transitional housing, and some need permanent supportive housing. Some are “boarders”, sharing space with someone else in that person’s home, while others have no shelter at all.

318 homeless in USVI

There have been 318 people counted as homeless so far for fiscal year 2023, according to the most recently conducted Point-in-Time homelessness survey. This information is based on data collected by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and organized by the USVI Continuum of Care Council on Homelessness.

Of these 318 individuals, 207 are located on St Thomas, with 90 each on St. Croix and St. John respectively. The number rivals the 314 homeless people reported for the entire 2019 fiscal year, 107 of whom were identified as being chronically homeless. Chronic homelessness is defined as a long term unsheltered experience, with several in this category suffering from mental or behavioral health disorders, and/or substance abuse disorders. Ms Causey-Gomez attributed a drop in reported figures in 2021 (174 homeless) to a pandemic-related lack of sufficient human resource for that year’s Point-in-Time survey to count all the unsheltered people in the territory.

40-bed facility to be constructed on St Croix

To address the lack of adequate housing and shelter for people who need it, Mr Bourne-Vanneck told senators at Monday’s meeting that his organisation plans to construct several units including a 40-bed facility at the Light of Christ Shelter for the Homeless, a new building on St Croix.

“We are currently developing the architectural designs that will reconfigure and refurbish the existing buildings on the site and expect to issue an RFP for construction in the near future. CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] funding has already been approved for $230,000 of the total projected construction budget of $871,000. God willing, we hope to have this new shelter in operation by the beginning of 2024,” he shared.

Catholic Charities, through its Bethlehem House Shelters, operated emergency shelters on St Thomas and St Croix. After the hurricanes in 2017, the St Thomas location remained operable, while the St Croix location at the Herbert Grigg Complex was destroyed.

With the assistance and support of the Catholic Diocese, the Catholic Charities is also in the process of developing a new emergency shelter in Coral Bay, St. John, and is in the process of relocating the Bethlehem House facility to its nearby property in Hospital Ground. There, it will construct a new 12-unit emergency shelter facility with separate rooms that will provide a total of 40 beds over three facility wings, along with kitchen, common area and administration offices.

While this is good news for many seeking temporary shelter, it’s also an indication of the demand in that area.

Challenges

Even with the data collected, Mr Bourne-Vanneck said he is unable to quantify the true number of homeless people in the territory. "That number is always a gross understatement of the problem and that’s partly because the people who have to make that headcount … over three-quarters of them are volunteers.”

Other challenges in escaping homelessness include inadequate funding, funding delays, and a low threshold that forces low-income earners out of the benefit program. Once a homeless person starts working and makes over a certain amount, they no longer qualify for benefits specifically targeted towards homeless individuals.

Both Mr Bourne-Vanneck and Ms Causey-Gomez agree that homelessness in the USVI is far beyond the capacity of individual agencies.

Kendall Tutein, DHS director for Nonprofits and Support, said that to design a system that works, there must be unison among entities working towards the same goal. Such a coordinated group, she said, would be responsible for analysing what the best system is and make recommendations for putting councils in place.

“I don’t know if there is funding to support something like this but in trainings and conferences that I have gone to in the US, there are designated people who work together to establish a coordinated entry system, who look at the homeless management information system, who helps manage the continuum of care council and help providers on the ground,” she explained.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×