The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded nearly $20 million to support to dozens of local homeless housing and service programs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Continuum of Care grants announced today provide critically needed housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness across the territories, including those impacted by Hurricanes Maria and Irma (see list below of local projects receiving funding).
HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Neal Rackleff announced the homeless assistance funding during a visit to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to meet with local leaders on the region’s ongoing disaster recovery efforts. In addition to the homeless assistance announced today, HUD earlier awarded Puerto Rico nearly $20 billion to support long-term disaster recovery following last year’s hurricanes.
“As we work to support long-term disaster recovery in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, we will not forget those individuals and families experiencing homelessness,” said HUD Assistant Secretary Rackleff. “Secretary Carson and this Administration stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners to support real housing solutions for those who may otherwise be living in our shelters or on our streets.”
Due to last year’s devastating hurricanes, HUD extended the application deadline for communities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to apply for Continuum of Care funding. HUD is continuing to work with state and local partners to support higher performing local programs that have proven most effective in meeting their local challenges, often shifting funds from existing projects to create new ones that will have a more substantial and lasting impact on reducing homelessness.
Homelessness declined approximately 20 percent in Puerto Rico since 2016. According to data reported to HUD from local communities in Puerto Rico, an estimated 3,525 persons, primarily individuals, experienced homelessness on a single night in January of 2017. Homelessness among families with children declined 62 percent in Puerto between 2016 and 2017, though these estimates occurred prior to Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Across the nation, local homelessness planning agencies called ‘Continuums of Care’ organize volunteers to help count the number of persons located in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and living unsheltered on the streets. These Continuums of Care will report these one-night ‘point-in-time counts’ later in the year which will form the basis of HUD’s 2018 national homeless estimate.
Fiscal Year 2017 Continuum of Care Grant Awards:
| State |
Government/Non-Profit Recipient |
City | Amount |
| Puerto Rico | Municipality of Aguas Buenas / Aguas Buenas Rapid Rehousing | Aguas Buenas | $ 57,146 |
| Mental Health & Anti-Addiction Services Administration / Permanent Housing de Vuelta A la Vida Ii | Bayamón | $ 335,621 | |
| Mental Health & Anti-Addiction Services Administration / Transitional Housing de Vuelta A la Vida,Sanación y Hogar | Bayamón | $ 1,507,760 | |
| Guara Bi,Inc. / Guara Bi Comerio | Caguas | $ 199,579 | |
| Corporacion Milagros Del Amor / Por Mi Hogar | Caguas | $ 219,989 | |
| Corporacion Milagros Del Amor / Vereda Del Rio | Caguas | $ 162,054 | |
| Fundacion de Desarrollo Comunal de P.R., Inc (“Fundesco/El Salvador”) | Caguas | $ 301,252 | |
| Guara Bi,Inc. / Guara Bi Caguas | Caguas | $ 201,809 | |
| Guara Bi,Inc. / Guara Bi Carib | Caguas | $ 143,447 | |
| Municipio Autonomo de Caguas | Caguas | $ 372,534 | |
| Proyecto Matria, Inc. / Proyecto Matria Gaia | Caguas | $ 478,820 | |
| Coc Program / Municipio de Cayey Rental Assistant | Cayey | $ 209,580 | |
| Hogar Nueva Mujer Santa Maria de la Merced, Inc. / Nueva Mujer Rapid Rehousing Program | Cayey | $ 218,750 | |
| Municipality of Guayama / Guayama Rental Assistance | Guayama | $ 107,413 | |
| Coalicion de Apoyo Continuo Para Personas Sin Hogar de Guaynabo, Inc. / Hogar Amparo Project | Guaynabo | $ 206,541 | |
| Municipio de Hormigueros | Hormigueros | $ 46,150 | |
| Casa de la Bondad, Inc. / Casa de la Bondad Rapid Rehousing | Humacao | $ 84,612 | |
| Municipio de Humacao / Municipio Humacao Renewal | Humacao | $ 78,754 | |
| Municipality of Isabela | Isabela | $ 44,880 | |
| Jayuya Municipality / Jayuya Rental Assistance | Jayuya | $ 53,230 | |
| Hogar Fortaleza Del Caido Inc. / Hfdc – Ph/Loiza 2018-19 | Loíza | $ 86,887 | |
| Hogar Luz de Vida, Inc. / Hogar Luz de Vida Transitional Housing Project | Mayaguez | $ 266,533 | |
| Municipality of Mayaguez / Municipality of Mayaguez Permanent Housing Proyect | Mayaguez | $ 147,029 | |
| Municipio de Naguabo / Mun de Naguabo Leasing | Naguabo | $ 75,445 | |
| Centro Deambulantes Cristo Pobre, Inc., / Vivienda Permanente la Caridad de Cristo | Ponce | $ 347,917 | |
| Coalicion de Coaliciones Pro Personas Sin Hogar de PR, Inc. / Coalición de Coaliciones – Sistema Coordinado de Entrada (CES) | Ponce | $ 265,166 | |
| Coalicion de Coaliciones Pro Personas Sin Hogar de Pr, Inc. / Conexión Boricua Hmis Project 2018-19 | Ponce | $ 576,090 | |
| Municipality of Ponce / Ponce Ra 2017 | Ponce | $ 127,362 | |
| Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, Inc. / Rapid Re-Housing and Supportive Services | San Juan | $ 414,306 | |
| Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, Inc. / Voucher Program Casa Julia San Juan | San Juan | $ 231,728 | |
| Coalicion de Apoyo Continuo A Personas Sin Hogar En San Juan / Proyecto Enlace | San Juan | $ 579,586 | |
| Hogar Del Buen Pastor, Inc. / Hogar Del Buen Pastor- Vouchers | San Juan | $ 114,953 | |
| Hogar Del Buen Pastor, Inc. / Hogar Del Buen Pastor, Inc. | San Juan | $ 682,180 | |
| La Perla de Gran Precio Inc. / Hogar Compartir Comunitario | San Juan | $ 322,062 | |
| La Perla de Gran Precio Inc. / Hogar Sin Barreras | San Juan | $ 121,351 | |
| La Perla de Gran Precio Inc. / Proyecto Integración Colectiva | San Juan | $ 209,033 | |
| La Perla de Gran Precio Inc. / Tu Casa Vale | San Juan | $ 93,408 | |
| Lucha Contra el Sida, Inc. / El Zorzal Apartments | San Juan | $ 392,418 | |
| Lucha Contra el Sida, Inc. / LCS Leasing Program | San Juan | $ 539,142 | |
| Lucha Contra el Sida, Inc. / Nuevo Horizonte | San Juan | $ 78,555 | |
| Lucha Contra el Sida, Inc. / Re-Encontrando el Sendero | San Juan | $ 294,000 | |
| Lucha Contra el Sida, Inc. / Sabana Village Apartments | San Juan | $ 185,603 | |
| Municipality of San Juan / Hogar Nuevos Horizontes | San Juan | $ 320,572 | |
| Municipality of San Juan / Safe Haven | San Juan | $ 337,558 | |
| Municipality of San Juan / San Juan Supportive Services for Permanent Housing Shelter Plus Care 3, Municipality of San Juan | San Juan | $ 94,088 | |
| Municipality of San Juan / Shelter Plus Care 3 | San Juan | $ 194,947 | |
| Municipality of San Juan / Shelter Plus Care New, Municipality of San Juan | San Juan | $ 220,294 | |
| Municipality of San Juan / Shelter Plus Care Renovation | San Juan | $ 494,012 | |
| PR Department of The Family / Planning Project | San Juan | $ 397,985 | |
| Puerto Rico Housing Department / Rental Assistance Program | San Juan | $ 1,064,057 | |
| Solo Por Hoy, Inc. / Derecho a Techo | San Juan | $ 151,940 | |
| Solo Por Hoy, Inc. / Solo Por Hoy-Rapid Rehousing | San Juan | $ 229,873 | |
| Lucha Contra el Sida, Inc. / Lucero Del Alba | San Juan | $ 364,445 | |
| Lucha Contra el Sida, Inc. / Remanso de Paz | San Juan | $ 609,189 | |
| Albergue el Paraíso, Corp. / Eden | Santurce | $ 301,939 | |
| Corp. la Fondita de Jesus / El Pueblito de Jesus | Santurce | $ 790,821 | |
| Corp. la Fondita de Jesus / La Puerta de Jesus Rapid Rehousing Program | Santurce | $ 670,922 | |
| Corp. la Fondita de Jesus / Programa Mi Hogar Ii | Santurce | $ 301,999 | |
| Albergue el Paraíso, Corp. / Gente Buena | Santurce, | $ 224,297 | |
| Hogar Ruth Para Mujeres Maltratadas, Inc. / Guayacan Housing Development | Vega Alta | $ 410,552 | |
| Municipality of Vega Alta / Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program | Vega Alta | $ 144,200 | |
| Municipality of Vega Baja / New Hope Assistance Project 2002 | Vega Baja | $ 262,654 | |
| Municipality of Vega Baja / Vega Baja New Hope Assistance Project | Vega Baja | $ 167,757 | |
| Silo Missión Cristiana, Inc. / Proyecto Casa Silo | Vega Baja | $ 207,653 | |
| Municipality of Yauco / De Vuelta A Mi Hogar – Ra 2018-19 | Yauco | $ 33,468 | |
| Municipality of Yauco / Féix Permanent Housing | Yauco | $ 207,836 | |
| Puerto Rico Total | $ 19,383,733 | ||
| US. Virgin Islands | Methodist Training & Outreach Center, Inc. / Homeless Management Information System | St. Thomas | $ 68,474 |
| V.I. Housing Finance Authority / V.I.Planning Grant | St. Thomas | $ 26,577 | |
| Vi Department of Human Services | St. Thomas | $ 40,320 | |
| USVI Total | $ 135,371 |
