Plaskett Secures Over $10 Million for USVI Community Projects in Federal Bill

The passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week was a moment of triumph for Congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett, who reported that twelve of her office’s Community Project Funding Requests were included in the measure.

“The requests reflect the great priority my office places on the need for education, health care, community development and to provide more economic opportunities in our most vulnerable populations,” Ms. Plaskett said in a statement issued on Friday.

Once the legislation is approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden, over $10 million will be directed towards local entities and agencies including the St. Croix Foundation, My Brother’s Workshop, and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, among several others, for the implementation of community projects.

“This congressional allocation affirms the power of civic-public collaboration which can manifest radical and systemic social transformation in underserved, marginalized places like the U.S. territories,” said St. Croix Foundation for Community Development Executive Director Deanna James. The Foundation has been allocated $1 million to develop and revitalize available affordable housing units and affordable commercial building space in Christiansted.