Nov. 30, 2001 – Thanks to a $246,268 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the V.I. Housing Authority will begin a construction trades program for 20 economically disadvantage youths. Called "Youthbuild," the program will provide education, support and job training for young people ages 16 to 24.
"We're trying was to encourage residents to get necessary skills, and we're trying to create career opportunities," said Jerome Johns, a Housing Authority planner and resident initiative coordinator.
Participants will learn their trades while building Housing Authority homes, and what they focus on will be tailored to meet their interests. When the youths graduate from the three-year program, Johns said, the Housing Authority will find them jobs with its own contractors or others.
On St. Thomas, Johns said, participants will start working on a 176-unit development at Hoffman-Nulleyberg that will include single-family detached homes, multi-family units and low-income rental units.
On St. Croix, those enrolled in the program will will start with revitalizing the 236-unit Louis E. Brown community in Paradise, a project involving single-family homes, multi-family homes, low-density rentals and commercial space.
Other projects are in the pipeline. Johns said the Housing Authority expects to have the program parameters in place by the time the HUD money arrives. He said a start-up date has not yet been set.
