Women and children, including those dealing with domestic violence issues, have no housing safety net on St. John. The island’s homeless population is often relegated to the streets or the woods. Facilities to provide basic living space, with other needed support services, are lacking on St. John. It is critically important to have a plan in place to support these vulnerable populations. The St. John community has consistently identified permanent sheltering options as a highpriority project. In an outreach effort to prioritize the projects that have been identified, permanent shelters ranked third highest priority.

This project will review options to provide a safety net for the island’s vulnerable population. A physical location with access to medical services will likely be needed, although it may be necessary to think creatively about the space and provide some services in the field. A safe location for domestic violence victims is very important. It may be most effective to transport individuals to safe spaces in St. Thomas. It is also necessary to think ahead about the post-storm needs of these vulnerable populations as well as seniors and other vulnerable populations. This project overlaps with “Improving Access to Mental Health Services” as well as “Developing Programs to Create a More Resilient Workforce” to help the homeless population enter the workforce.

IMPLEMENTATION STEPS: 1. Conduct a feasibility study to determine the number of people that may need to make use of a shelter. 2. Determine whether one facility or multiple facility will needed to serve potential clients. 3. Identify affordable options to meet the need. 4. Gain community support around the preferred and feasible solutions.

Key Players: Dept. of Human Services; Family Resource Center; St. John LTRT Alignment: Housing, HHS RSFs Cost: > $1 Million Timeline: > Three Years