Resilience and Accessibility for St. John Homes

At Love City Strong, preparedness is at the core of all our ongoing projects. As we approach the upcoming hurricane season, we take stock of all our programs, evaluating our overall preparedness and the progress we have made in mitigation efforts for any future hazards. 

Housing is one of the most complex parts of recovery after a disaster. After the hurricanes in 2017, HUD estimated that 74% of low and middle income homes on St. John were damaged. Since 2018, Love City Strong has partnered with several other nonprofits, along with St. John-based construction companies and dozens of qualified local professionals to help create the Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI).

Throughout 2020 and 2021, it became clear that recovery challenges were increasing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global supply logistics, coupled with widespread economic downturns and access to affordable labor hindered a return to safe, accessible homes.

In October of 2021, we received a grant through the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, with funding provided by the Island Spirit Fund. Cruzan®Rum, along with GlobalGiving, established The Island Spirit Fund to support disaster relief. It issues grants to local organizations with boots on the ground and lasting relationships in affected areas. Specifically, this grant was awarded to help with repairs on the hurricane damaged homes of two St. John residents.

This funding came at a critical point, and allowed us to expand the RHI program to accept small scopes of work, and reach more residents of the St. John Community. 

In the last 4 years we have made incredible progress, but there is still more work to be done. Your support is critical to continue these projects, and to help ensure that we are prepared as possible for the upcoming season.