{"id":1972,"date":"2026-07-23T12:37:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T12:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1972"},"modified":"2026-07-23T12:37:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T12:37:44","slug":"us-suspends-funding-for-us-virgin-islands-housing-authority-and-accuses-it-of-corruption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1972","title":{"rendered":"US suspends funding for US Virgin Islands\u2019 housing authority and accuses it of corruption"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) \u2014 The U.S. government announced Monday it suspended funding for the U.S. Virgin Islands\u2019<\/span> housing authority after an investigation found widespread corruption, as residents still struggle to recover from two major hurricanes that hit nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n

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U.S. Housing Secretary Scott Turner said that nine years after the U.S. territory received $1.9 billion in disaster recovery funding, it has spent only $570 million, less than a third of the funds.<\/p>\n

He noted that a HUD investigation found \u201cwidespread financial mismanagement, inadequate fraud controls, false certifications and improper payments.\u201d The investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis failure has, to date, deprived Virgin Islanders of roughly $1.3 billion worth of assistance that Congress intended them to have,\u201d stated a July 20 letter that HUD sent to the head of the U.S. Virgin Island\u2019s Housing Finance Authority.<\/p>\n

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The director for the U.S. territory\u2019s housing authority and its spokesperson did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The authority has the right to appeal the suspension by requesting a hearing.<\/p>\n

In a post on X, Turner accused officials with the U.S. Virgin Islands\u2019 Housing Finance Authority of prioritizing \u201ckickbacks over helping families recover from disasters.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. Virgin Islands was struck by Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm, in September 2017. Roughly two weeks later, Hurricane Maria, also a Category 5 storm, struck St. Croix. The U.S. territory is still struggling to recover from the storms.<\/p>\n

In a July 20 letter to the head of the U.S. Virgin Islands\u2019 housing authority, HUD said that its \u201crecord demonstrates that it is an abysmal steward of taxpayer funds.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The investigation so far has found that the U.S. Virgin Islands\u2019 housing authority has completed only two of 95 planned single-family rental rehabilitation projects and zero of 329 single and multifamily housing projects.<\/p>\n

In addition, the authority had spent only 2% of its electrical grid recovery funding as of May, the investigation found.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, the Virgin Islands housing authority has spent more than half the grant funds slated for administrative costs, according to the letter.<\/p>\n

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