To address the housing crisis that affected hundreds of thousands of families after Hurricane Maria (September 2017), the Puerto Rico Community Foundation She devised a strategy to rebuild houses. The need was enormous, and as a philanthropic institution with a history of projects in this area, it wanted to contribute to solving the problem.
The Foundation turned to non-profit organizations with which it had previously worked on the issue of housing on the island: Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). In June 2018, it awarded them $1.3 million for the reconstruction of 79 homes in 15 towns across the island: Ceiba, Lares, Yauco, Utuado, Jayuya, Ponce, Orocovis, Vega Baja, Toa Alta, Guayama, Loíza, Río Grande, Salinas, Coamo, and Villalba.
The recipient organizations of the funds were: Ceiba Economic Development Corporation, C.D., PathStone Corporation Puerto Rico Inc., Institute for Socioeconomic and Housing Development (INDESOVI), Ponce Neighborhood Housing Services Inc, and One Stop Career Center.
As of today, 52 out of 79 have been completed.
“There is a pressing need to ensure that every citizen of this land has a safe roof over their heads that can withstand the onslaught of another weather phenomenon. That is why we have chosen to call upon our collaborators on this issue, the CHDOs, so that they can take on this task, which in turn incorporates elements for the personal, social, and economic development of community residents,” states Dr. Nelson I. Colón Tarrats, president of the FCPR.
In addition, the Foundation awarded 1,480,000 pesos to INDESOVI for the reconstruction of 30 residences in Loíza, where more than 1,000 families were affected. The donation covered operational and labor costs. In this case, the initiative evolved into an alliance between Ricky Martin Foundation and the Municipality of Loíza, which broadened the impact of the social justice project.
To date, 26 out of 28 have been completed in Medianía Alta, Medianía Baja, and Pueblo.
Additionally, solar energy systems have been installed in 25 homes in Loíza.
The FCPR's contribution also included legal assistance in ownership matters, support for the community integration process, and installation of solar panels in residences. The project also received donations of furniture and household items from PathStone Corporation Puerto Rico Inc.
FCPR housing projects have received donations from: Oklahoma City Community Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, PrinceFoundation, Ruth Mott Foundation, Seattle Foundation, Stanislaus Community Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, Cleveland Foundation, The Crown Family Philanthropies,The Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, The San Diego Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, y W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
