Senate hearing finds Puerto Rico housing agency lacks emergency funds, requests documents
July 07, 2021 | Senate, Committees, Legislative, Puerto Rico, International
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The Senate convened a public hearing July 7, 2021, in Salón Luis Negros López to review emergency-shelter plans under Senate Resolution 225. María Ivette Cabeza Díaz, subadministradora of the Department of Housing, told the commission the department submitted the requested emergency plan but has no allocated emergency-operating budget despite a prior request for funds.
Why it matters: lawmakers said the island is in an active seismic period and entering hurricane season, and they pressed the department on whether identified shelters are certified, properly resourced and staffed. The commission requested records to verify readiness and to inform further legislative action.
Key findings and exchange
The department told senators it maintains an emergency-management structure composed of a support committee and zonal coordinators covering ten emergency zones. On staffing, Cabeza Díaz said the emergency area has about 75 coordinators (zone and municipal coordinators) and that there are eight vacancies in that structure.
On funding, Cabeza Díaz said, “Se hizo una solicitud de tres millones de dólares, pero nunca se le ha asignado dinero al departamento de de vivienda para el manejo,” confirming the request for $3 million was not included in the approved budget. Senators characterized the lack of a standing emergency fund as a major gap in readiness.
Shelter certification and infrastructure
The hearing highlighted that identified shelter inventories and certifications are incomplete. Cabeza Díaz said the department identifies 347 installations as shelters and that projects have management plans, but she also noted those plans are not formally certified by Manejo de Emergencias: “Nunca se ha requerido que manejo de emergencia certifique los planes,” she told the commission. Senators said that lack of formal certification leaves ambiguity about whether facilities meet safety requirements for earthquakes and other events.
On critical infrastructure, the department reported that of the 347 identified shelter structures, 117 have generators and 220 have cisterns. The senator flagged this as insufficient to guarantee refrigeration for medicines or power for prolonged sheltering.
Personnel, contractors and operations
Cabeza Díaz said the administration selected agent administrators by RFP to manage public housing geographically; these agents would operate shelters and hire trained staff as needed. She also told the commission there are 347 certified and trained shelter administrators: “Tenemos trescientos cuarenta y siete administradores de refugio. Certificados y adiestrados.” Because the department lacks a dedicated emergency budget, it expects reimbursement from FEMA for many emergency expenditures, a point senators said creates cash-flow and operational risk.
Structural and programmatic concerns
Lawmakers pressed the department on delays in repairing structural defects in schools (short columns or “columnas cortas”) used as shelters. The senator said the Agencia de Fomento Industrial (AFI) had run auctions but not completed awards for some repairs, leaving some schools unusable in areas that continue to experience tremors.
Supplies, training and support services
The department reported a distribution of 27,000 cots across municipalities and 6,500 cots in warehouse stock. Cabeza Díaz described recent trainings, including June 2021 sessions on gender-based violence protocols, and said nonprofit partners provide social-work services at shelters; the department agreed to supply the commission with regional contact lists for those organizations.
Requested documents and next steps
The commission asked the Department of Housing to deliver several documents within five business days, including municipal personnel assignment lists, the school-inspection form used to certify shelters, the list of agent administrators, lists of nonprofit contacts by region, and records of training participants. The hearing closed at 11:21 a.m. with the commission continuing its investigation under Resolution 225.
Why it matters: lawmakers said the island is in an active seismic period and entering hurricane season, and they pressed the department on whether identified shelters are certified, properly resourced and staffed. The commission requested records to verify readiness and to inform further legislative action.
Key findings and exchange
The department told senators it maintains an emergency-management structure composed of a support committee and zonal coordinators covering ten emergency zones. On staffing, Cabeza Díaz said the emergency area has about 75 coordinators (zone and municipal coordinators) and that there are eight vacancies in that structure.
On funding, Cabeza Díaz said, “Se hizo una solicitud de tres millones de dólares, pero nunca se le ha asignado dinero al departamento de de vivienda para el manejo,” confirming the request for $3 million was not included in the approved budget. Senators characterized the lack of a standing emergency fund as a major gap in readiness.
Shelter certification and infrastructure
The hearing highlighted that identified shelter inventories and certifications are incomplete. Cabeza Díaz said the department identifies 347 installations as shelters and that projects have management plans, but she also noted those plans are not formally certified by Manejo de Emergencias: “Nunca se ha requerido que manejo de emergencia certifique los planes,” she told the commission. Senators said that lack of formal certification leaves ambiguity about whether facilities meet safety requirements for earthquakes and other events.
On critical infrastructure, the department reported that of the 347 identified shelter structures, 117 have generators and 220 have cisterns. The senator flagged this as insufficient to guarantee refrigeration for medicines or power for prolonged sheltering.
Personnel, contractors and operations
Cabeza Díaz said the administration selected agent administrators by RFP to manage public housing geographically; these agents would operate shelters and hire trained staff as needed. She also told the commission there are 347 certified and trained shelter administrators: “Tenemos trescientos cuarenta y siete administradores de refugio. Certificados y adiestrados.” Because the department lacks a dedicated emergency budget, it expects reimbursement from FEMA for many emergency expenditures, a point senators said creates cash-flow and operational risk.
Structural and programmatic concerns
Lawmakers pressed the department on delays in repairing structural defects in schools (short columns or “columnas cortas”) used as shelters. The senator said the Agencia de Fomento Industrial (AFI) had run auctions but not completed awards for some repairs, leaving some schools unusable in areas that continue to experience tremors.
Supplies, training and support services
The department reported a distribution of 27,000 cots across municipalities and 6,500 cots in warehouse stock. Cabeza Díaz described recent trainings, including June 2021 sessions on gender-based violence protocols, and said nonprofit partners provide social-work services at shelters; the department agreed to supply the commission with regional contact lists for those organizations.
Requested documents and next steps
The commission asked the Department of Housing to deliver several documents within five business days, including municipal personnel assignment lists, the school-inspection form used to certify shelters, the list of agent administrators, lists of nonprofit contacts by region, and records of training participants. The hearing closed at 11:21 a.m. with the commission continuing its investigation under Resolution 225.
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