ST. CROIX, Virgin Islands – Landlords who own a multi-family dwelling in need of repairs and are willing to lease to eligible hurricane survivors have until June 1 to sign up for FEMA’s Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program (MLRP).
This program provides funds to make rental units habitable again, and at the same time helps survivors of hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Here’s how it works: FEMA may have the property repaired using a third party contractor or landlords may choose to complete the repairs using their own contractors once repairs and costs have been agreed upon. The repairs or improvements to make units habitable do not need to be hurricane- or flood-related. The value of the work will be deducted from the value of the lease agreement, and may not exceed its total value.
To qualify for MLRP funds your property must meet certain criteria.
- It must have two or more units with at least one unit available to qualify as a multi-family dwelling. Each unit must provide independent living facilities for one or more people, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking and sanitation.
- It must have been previously used as a rental unit.
- It must be located on St. Croix, St. John or St. Thomas.
- You must be willing to have at least one unit repaired or improved to be accessible to applicants with disabilities or other access and functional needs.
In addition, the property must be accessible to community services like schools and grocery stores, and not be located in a flood-prone area. FEMA will require a lease of exclusive use of the property as temporary housing. The property owner must provide all property management services, and repairs must comply with local building codes.
Remember time is running out to participate in the Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program. If you’re a property owner who would like your property considered for this program email FEMA-USVI-MLR@fema.dhs.gov.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after a disaster.
For official information on the recovery effort following the hurricanes, please visit www.informusvi.com or www.usviupdate.com. Follow us on social media at twitter.com/femaregion2 and www.facebook.com/FEMAUSVirginIslands.
To donate or volunteer, contact the voluntary or charitable organization of your choice through the National Voluntary Agencies Active in Disasters (NVOAD) at www.nvoad.org. For those who wish to help, cash donations offer voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover. The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands also has the “Fund for the Virgin Islands” at www.USVIrecovery.org.