Skip to content

Economic Revitalization

Home > Recovery Programs > Economic Revitalization

Overview

The CDBG-DR Economic Revitalization recovery programs are designed to address unmet needs in the local workforce, showcase the territory to the world that “we’re open” for business and stabilize and support our infrastructure with improvements to our ports that will generate long standing economic growth for the Territory.

Objectives

  • Generating opportunities for the local workforce to participate in recovery-related sectors such as construction as well as develop essential skills, digital literacy, and vocational skills training for tourism-related work and other key diversification sectors.
  • Providing financial support to impacted communities for economic revitalization and job growth efforts.
  • Providing technical assistance to small businesses that sustain income producing jobs for residents of the disaster-impacted communities.
  • Stabilizing and growing the tourism industry through key infrastructure improvements to ports and airports that will increase the Territory’s capacity to receive tourists.
  • Investing in an advertising campaign that offsets negative perceptions of storm-related damages to the U.S. Virgin Islands and reinforces the Territory’s market position as a top sports & adventure, ecotourism, cultural, and romance destination in the U.S.

Workforce Development

$10,000,000

Workforce development will focus on two areas in this program. The first program will focus on training low to moderate income residents in various areas of construction industry. In the second half of the program individuals will undergo “on the job training” with local contractors that are engaged with the rebuilding of damaged homes and property in the territory.

Building Façade and Streetscape Enhancement; Small Business and Entrepreneurship Grant and Technical Assistance Grant Program

$14,032,915

The Building Façade and Streetscape Enhancement Program will provide funding to eligible businesses buildings, commercial or residential, to repair visible exterior damage and enhance downtown areas, high traffic areas, historic districts, etc. The goal is to increase investment and improve the aesthetic of local communities. Projects located within historic districts must follow guidelines prescribed by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

The Small Business Entrepreneurship Grant and Technical Assistance Program (SBETA) is comprised of two components: Small Business Grants and Technical Assistance. This program will fund recovery grants and technical assistance to aid small businesses and entrepreneurs to identify ways to rebound from the change in economic circumstances from the 2017 storms.

Translate »