Year-End Update: Resilient Housing Initiative

Year-End Update: Resilient Housing Initiative

Recovery is often called “the second disaster” because it lasts long after the wind dies down. On St. John, the housing crisis that followed the 2017 hurricanes has not resolved with time, but rather has grown more serious. Addressing the island’s housing needs has required sustained effort, skilled local labor, patient navigation of complex systems, and consistent community support.

That is why Love City Strong launched the Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI) in 2018: to help permanent, full-time St. John residents return to safe, stable homes, rebuilt to be stronger and more disaster resistant than before.

What RHI has accomplished (so far)

Since launching RHI, Love City Strong has repaired or rebuilt 40 homes on St. John, with additional small-scope resilience upgrades (like ADA ramps, stairs, and railings) completed through the RHI Minor Works Program at more sites.

This work matters because each repaired home:

  • Brings a neighbor home safely.
  • Reduces pressure on a strained long-term rental market.
  • Strengthens the island’s ability to withstand future storms.

Where we are right now

The need is still significant. Love City Strong currently has dozens of households in the queue for repairs, spanning a wide range of scopes. In early 2026, we plan to:

  • Complete the next home in the program (our 41st site), using a BAUHU steel frame kit.
  • Begin two full rebuilds using alternative construction methods (BAUHU and Insulated Concrete Form), as part of a broader push to test approaches that may reduce costs over time.

Telling the story, and why it helps

This year, we also worked to improve how we communicate the reality of long-term recovery and what resilience looks like on the ground. We are grateful to have partnered with ElevateWI, a nonprofit based on St. Thomas, USVI, on a video that helps share this story and amplify community-driven solutions.

A year-end request: help us keep building

RHI is sustained by people who choose to invest in the work for the long-term. If you believe St. John residents deserve to live in safe, hardened homes, please consider making a year-end gift.

Your donation helps fund:

  • Construction materials and skilled labor.
  • Repairs and rebuilds for households with the highest needs.
  • The steady project management and casework required to move homes from “in the queue” to “back home.”

Give today: Donate to Love City Strong

Thank you for being part of a community that shows up, year after year, to make sure recovery is not reserved for the few.