During his seventh State of the Territory Address on Monday, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. announced that the long-delayed Envision Tomorrow program is now on track following its transfer from the V.I. Housing Finance Authority to the V.I. Office of Disaster Recovery.
Many Virgin Islanders had lost hope in the Envision Tomorrow program, which was established to help residents rebuild after the devastating storms of 2017. By February 2024, only 30 homes had been completed in seven years. With limited progress under the V.I. Housing Finance Authority, the Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR) took over the program. In August 2024, ODR Director Adrienne Octalien-Williams reported notable improvements, telling lawmakers, "The needle is moving." At that time, 87 homes were in various stages of construction, with 47 actively being built and 40 pending the issuance of a notice to proceed.
On Monday, Mr. Bryan gave a new update: "The Envision program to rebuild severely storm-damaged homes has finally got legs thanks to the Office of Disaster Recovery. Last year we transferred the Community Development Block Grant program out of VIHFA into ODR and it has paid dividends," Mr. Bryan said.
He added, "The Envision Tomorrow team is currently tracking 100 homes in the construction phase and expects 150 more to begin in 2025. This is an almost 400 percent increase in construction activity since the program has been taken over by ODR. Homeowners in the Rental Rehabilitation Program will also see progress this year as ODR anticipates getting the first batch of those homes into construction by August."
Governor Bryan also took a moment to recognize individuals who have shown resilience throughout the lengthy rebuilding process. He acknowledged three homeowners—Vernelle Stevens, Adelaide Andrew, and Kay Francis—who exercised tremendous patience while waiting for their homes to be restored. "We have been able to assist in getting you back into your homes," he said, noting that Ms. Stevens and Ms. Andrew were present during the address.
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