The Governor of the Virgin Islands, Albert Bryan Jr., has expressed his strong disappointment with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over the agency's decision to suspend procurements involving the territory's housing finance authority.
Bryan, a Democrat, termed HUD's suspension as a "shock" and called the agency's letter "unprofessional." He claimed that the U.S. Virgin Islands' disaster-recovery issues have been "sensationalized" and that the suspension is an "overreach."
Bryan suggested that the suspension could be a "political stunt" timed with the start of early voting in the territory's contested gubernatorial election. He stated that his administration has made significant progress on several recovery projects, including one at Magen's Bay, a world-famous calm-water beach on St. Thomas.
According to Bryan, the high costs associated with recovery projects in the U.S. Virgin Islands are a major issue. He pointed out that one public housing unit can expend $1 million, which he deemed "crazy." Bryan also stated that his administration has addressed "weaknesses" at the VIHFA earlier in his administration and has made efforts to improve the capacity of the housing finance authority.
Bryan's administration plans to appeal HUD's suspension and will work to get to the bottom of the reasons behind the harsh measures taken by the agency. He expressed his commitment to protecting the people of the Virgin Islands and ensuring that critical housing and disaster-recovery programs are not disrupted unnecessarily.
The HUD suspension comes as part of a wide-scale effort by the Trump administration to curb abuse of taxpayer funds. The agency's decision has been met with strong criticism from Bryan, who believes that the suspension is an overreaction to the issues faced by the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bryan's administration has been working to address the weaknesses at the VIHFA and has implemented measures to improve the capacity of the housing finance authority. Despite the challenges faced by the territory, Bryan remains committed to ensuring that the people of the Virgin Islands receive the support they need to recover from the devastating effects of the disaster.
