A ground-breaking platform for change

A research, knowledge exchange and advocacy program that has brought together strategic thought partners to devise a framework for housing in Puerto Rico and a collective roadmap for its reconstruction and beyond.

Anchored on a series of initiatives that foster enhanced collaboration and exchange of knowledge in order to improve urban planning and the use of federal funds.

Blueprint is part of the portfolio of projects of CNE’s Growth Commission. Two members, Shaun Donovan, former HUD Secretary and post-disaster planning expert Robert Olshansky, Ph.D. participated in CNE events, visited communities around the island, and met with NGOs and local government officials to provide technical assistance and critical guidance to overcome pressing obstacles in the early stages of the reconstruction process

Puerto Rico has a housing affordability crisis:

More than half of renters in Puerto Rico spend more than a third of their income on rent
More than 40% of mortgage holders spend more than a third of their income on housing costs
Waiting lists for public housing and Section 8 vouchers has 16,000 and 10,000 households, respectively
Only 1 in 5 households that are eligible for a Section 8 voucher actually receive them

A collaboration between community leaders, academics, experts, private sector stakeholders and government officials

Conference Series

February:

Land Tenure and Informal Settlements

November:

Affordable Housing in Times of Crisis

View Seminar Part 1

View Seminar Part 2

Housing units in need of repair and retrofit accounted for 87% of infrastructure damaged by Hurricane María.
More than 1/3 of Puerto Rico’s total housing stock suffered significant damages from Hurricane María.
Less than 200 housing units have been rebuilt using CDBG-DR funds.

Sources for P. R. Statistics: CNE Analysis, P.R. Dept. of Health (2019), U.S. Census, PREPA Fiscal Plan, P. R. Community Survey (2018)

More than 41% of families in Puerto Rico live below the US federal poverty line, 3 times as many as the US average.
Federal policies short-change health funding for Puerto Rico, covering only 55% of Medicaid expenses in the island.
50% of post disaster federal funding is not expected to be disbursed until 2025 and later

Sources for P. R. Statistics: CNE Analysis, P.R. Dept. of Health (2019), U.S. Census, PREPA Fiscal Plan, P. R. Community Survey (2018)

Hurricane María leveled approximately 90% of Puerto Rico’s electric grid.
Currently about 4% of the installed electricity generation capacity in Puerto Rico uses renewable sources of energy.
Act 17 requires that Puerto Rico generate 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025 and 100% by 2050.

Sources for P. R. Statistics: CNE Analysis, P.R. Dept. of Health (2019), U.S. Census, PREPA Fiscal Plan, P. R. Community Survey (2018)

A ground-breaking platform for change

A research, knowledge exchange and advocacy program that has brought together strategic thought partners to devise a framework for housing in Puerto Rico and a collective roadmap for its reconstruction and beyond.

Puerto Rico has a housing affordability crisis:

A collaboration between community leaders, academics, experts, private sector stakeholders and government officials

Conference Series

February:

November:

Housing units in need of repair and retrofit accounted for 87% of infrastructure damaged by Hurricane María.

More than 1/3 of Puerto Rico’s total housing stock suffered significant damages from Hurricane María.

Less than 200 housing units have been rebuilt using CDBG-DR funds.

More than 41% of families in Puerto Rico live below the US federal poverty line, 3 times as many as the US average.

Federal policies short-change health funding for Puerto Rico, covering only 55% of Medicaid expenses in the island.

50% of post disaster federal funding is not expected to be disbursed until 2025 and later

Hurricane María leveled approximately 90% of Puerto Rico’s electric grid.

Currently about 4% of the installed electricity generation capacity in Puerto Rico uses renewable sources of energy.

Act 17 requires that Puerto Rico generate 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025 and 100% by 2050.

Only 12% of federal post-disaster contracts have been awarded to local firms.

50% of all post-disaster federal funding will not be disbursed until 2025-2032.