If the V.I. Housing Authority does not submit its list of recommendations for street names in public housing communities, the authority may lose its chance to do so, warned Lydia Pelle, acting executive director of VIHA.
“If we do not provide a name, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office is going to select one for us,” she told board members.
The latest thrust in the territory’s Street Addressing Initiative was initiated last year by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, following the receipt of $5 million in federal funding. During Wednesday’s meeting of the VIHA Board of Commissioners, Ms. Pelle said that January 31 was the deadline for which the names may be submitted, and noted that some of the agency’s resident councils “have been very vocal” on the issue.
Board member Simba Abiff noted that the Oswald Harris Court resident council had already collated a list of names to put forward for consideration, and ultimately it was decided that the board would make its final determination on Monday for onward submission.
“They’re currently already ordering the first set of street signs,” Ms. Pelle informed commissioners, noting that streets in VIHA housing communities were reportedly next on the agenda for Government House. “We can no longer hold up this initiative for the territory.”
“The Street Addressing Initiative continues to serve as a critical infrastructure project for the territory that will drastically improve navigation and location capabilities for emergency services/responders, postal services, utilities, several key agencies and departments,” Lt. Governor Roach said in 2022 when announcing the $5 million in federal funding for the initiative.
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