New AGC, Puerto Rico, president prioritizes federal fund use before expiration
José Torres urges collaboration to maximize Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Housing Department funding.
Engineer José Torres, who will be sworn in as the new president of the Associated General Contractors of America’s Puerto Rico chapter (AGC-P.R.) on Feb. 6, outlined his priorities, including engaging with local and federal officials overseeing the billions of dollars allocated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the island’s reconstruction.
“We have been executing works for several years with those funds in different projects,” Torres told News is my Business. “And what we want is to use the knowledge that we have. We know what works and what can be fixed.”
He emphasized the importance of opening dialogue with the new administration so that engineers can advise the government on effective reconstruction strategies.
“These funds have a term … they are not unlimited and won’t last forever,” he said. “The work must be completed within a set timeframe. There are still many funds that need to be used, and we want to be part of that conversation so they can take advantage of our experience and that they use us so they can be more efficient.”
Torres also addressed concerns about federal funding pauses, noting that while the Trump administration initially suspended several programs, the order was later withdrawn.
“Nevertheless, we are monitoring the situation to see if any new federal funding developments arise,” he said. “The important thing is that we must be prepared to have everything in order and show that we are using the funds efficiently, that there is a well-thought-out plan to execute the works and that they comply with all the federal funding requirements.”
At this moment, Torres does not believe Puerto Rico’s reconstruction funds are at risk of elimination.
“In fact, even with the pause, what the pause did was instruct the agencies to issue reports to evaluate them, and they were very specific about the things they would be evaluating, which did not specifically include funds like those assigned to Puerto Rico because they are largely assigned for infrastructure,” Torres explained. He added that Trump has prioritized infrastructure funding to modernize outdated systems.
Regarding the potential elimination of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), Torres said FEMA recently clarified that a managing entity must oversee the distribution of these funds.
“Nobody knows exactly what the governor will do with COR3, but if it happens, it should be done in an orderly manner to ensure these funds continue flowing without affecting the projects,” he said.
