141 Virgin Islanders Have Withdrawn Their Application From the Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Lawmakers have learned that 141 people who applied to received assistance through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program that was created as a response to the financial strain being placed on families due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have withdrawn their applications.

This was disclosed during a meeting of the Committee on Disaster Recovery and Infrastructure Friday, where lawmakers received testimony from the V.I. Housing Finance Authority regarding the status of all disaster-related projects in the territory, their respective contracts, inclusive of professional services and task order contracts, both anticipated and underway.

Some people, lawmakers were told did not want to go through the full application process because they had to give documentation proving that they were eligible. “You have to get documentation saying that you were not working because of Covid-19. Some people, government workers will apply and then they will know they are not eligible after speaking to us, they will withdraw,” explained a representative from VIHFA.

Administered by VIHFA, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP, received $21.3 million in funds with an expiration date of September 30, 2022, then another award of $18.3 million with an expiration date of December 20, 2026.

Currently, the VIHFA utilizes a group of nonprofit, social service organizations to assist with administering the application/intake process. These include the St. John Community Foundation, Family Resource Center, Catholic Charities of the VI, Methodist Training and Outreach Center, Salvation Army, and St. Croix Mission Outreach.

As of the end of February 2022, the VIHFA disbursed $1.7 million in ERAP assistance to families in the territory for rent and utilities.