The government of Puerto Rico, led by their Department of Housing (PRDOH), has implemented numerous programs with over $20 billion in Community Disaster Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to create resilient housing, boost economic development, and improve Puerto Rico’s infrastructure. This funding is critical to address the unmet needs from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and more recently the Earthquakes and Hurricane Fiona.

In mid-February, Marion McFadden, HUD Principal Deputy Assistance Secretary, Office of Community Planning and Development, and Deputy Assistance Secretary Claudia Monterrosa joined PRDOH Secretary William Rodriguez on site visits throughout Puerto Rico to view recovery progress and see how families and businesses are benefiting from CDBG-DR funding.

In the heart of Puerto Rico’s mountainous interior is Orocovis, where Empresas Agrícolas El Paraíso farm successfully grows and sells produce such as lettuce, cilantro, and other vegetables. The family-owned farm applied to the CDBG-DR Re-Grow Program and was awarded over $99,000 that they used to purchase a storage trailer, walk-in cooler, and distribution vehicle. The Re-Grow Program, one of several CDBG-DR programs administered by PRDOH, promotes and increases food security throughout the island. It also improves and expands agricultural production through economic revitalization and sustainable agricultural practices.​

PDAS McFadden and DAS Monterrosa also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for Vistas del Norte, a housing development in Guaynabo. This 102-unit multifamily building received over $29 million in funding through the CDBG-DR Gap to Low-Income Housing Tax Credits Program.

Other sites visited by the team included:

• Centro Maria Mazarello Alespi
  – Orocovis Awarded $1.9 million in CDBG-DR Social Interest Housing Program funding to build a transitional housing complex for talented low-income children and teenagers who lack safe homes. Centro María Mazzarello Alespi, Inc. is a nonprofit entity dedicated to providing educational and integral development opportunities to children and youth in Orocovis and nearby communities.
• CEWRI Home Visit - Orocovis This home was retrofitted with $25,700 through the CDBG-DR Community Energy and Water Resilience Installations (CEWRI) Program. The participant’s home is now energy resilient thanks to the installation of solar panels, battery storage system, Energy Star appliances, and water cistern. The home was also reconstructed with over $144,000 through the R3 Program, which assisted homeowners with Hurricane Maria damages.
• Égida Sagrado Corazón, Elderly Housing – Arecibo Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Elderly home is a 120-unit new senior housing project in Arecibo that received $27.9 million in CDBG-DR funding. It has resilience measures such as solar panels, water storage tanks, two electrical generators (for common areas and housing units), and an emergency call system.
• Workforce Training Program at Universidad Interamericana - Ponce Campus The Interamerican University, Ponce Campus received a $4.8 million award to administer a workforce training program, where they have a culinary arts/business program and offer job training and skills required for the self-employment opportunities currently available in the fields of tourism, hospitality, and food preparation and service industry.
• Meeting with CONSUR Director and Mayors (6 municipalities) – Ponce ConSur (Consorcio del Sur, in English, Southern Consortium) was formed in September 2022 to administer a CDBG-DR grant of $221 million to help with long-term earthquake recovery by providing assistance for rebuilding homes or relocating families based on the extent of damage and the location of the home. Seniors 65 and older and disabled persons whose property had significant damage are given priority.

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