Lawmakers Seek Committee of the Whole Hearing on VIHFA Suspension; Blyden Issues Five-Day Disclosure Demand

ST. THOMAS — Legislative scrutiny of the V.I. Housing Finance Authority intensified late Monday as Senator Marvin Blyden demanded a project-by-project accounting of affected federal grants within five business days, while Senators Marise James and Clifford A. Joseph Sr. asked Senate President Milton Potter to convene a Committee of the Whole hearing on HUD’s immediate suspension of the authority. Mr. Blyden, chairman of the Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications, said VIHFA should exercise its right to appeal the federal action but must use the 30-day response period to correct the long-standing financial, auditing, procurement and project-delivery failures identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ms. James and Mr. Joseph separately called for an immediate public hearing to establish the scope of the suspension, examine its potential impact on housing and disaster-recovery programs and determine what corrective action is needed to prote...