Puerto Rico Housing and Human Development Trust grants $50K
The Puerto Rico Housing and Human Development Trust (FIDEVI, in Spanish) awarded $50,000 to the Puerto Rico Volunteer Organization of Engineers and Professionals (VIPR, in Spanish) to support several housing assistance projects in southwestern Puerto Rico affected by the earthquakes that have occurred since 2020.
A total of 100 families that have damaged homes due to the natural disasters, who live below the poverty line, will benefit from the funds, the nonprofit said.
VIPR will use the funds to run its “Route to a Safe House” program that provides assistance to low-income individuals and families who have been impacted by natural disasters, to gain access to a safe home.
The FIDEVI allocation will also be used to cover fees by structural engineers and/or architects based in Puerto Rico and from the diaspora, to write up reports, certifications with cost estimates, and design required sketches for the construction and reconstruction of the homes.
Assistance will also be provided to families overcome difficulties in obtaining property titles certifying the ownership of their dwellings.
“Our purpose at FIDEVI is to contribute to vulnerable communities and populations in the development, rehabilitation and preservation of adequate and safe homes that guarantee a better quality of life,” said Annette Montoto-Terrassa, Executive Director of FIDEVI.
Over the years, FIDEVI has provided aid through grants to more than 500 housing units and thousands of individuals through nonprofit entities throughout Puerto Rico, she said.
