(July 2, 2020 – La Fortaleza, San Juan) – Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced visited today the municipality of Juncos to oversee the works carried out under the federal Repair, Reconstruction, or Relocation (R3) Program of the CDBG-DR Program.
Governor Vázquez Garced spent time with Reinaldo Gómez Rivas and Silvia Soto in the Ceiba Sur community, where they have lived for the past 64 years in a home that will be rebuilt under the R3 program after it sustained serious damages caused by hurricane Maria.
“We know that the R3 Program will benefit many residents of the Island and that will offer them peace of mind and the assurance of a safe home, whether through repairs, reconstruction, or relocation. We thank Mr. Gómez Rivas for giving us the opportunity to visit his home and confirm that R3 is working for the benefit of the people,” said Governor Vázquez Garced.
The 800-square-feet house will be rebuilt in concrete and have two bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen, and living/dining room. It will also meet current construction codes and green building standards.
For his part, the secretary of the Department of Housing, Luis Fernández Trinchet, said that “many people can benefit from R3, and Mr. Gómez Rivas is an example of how these funds are being used to contribute to the resilience of Puerto Rico residents. R3 not only rebuilds homes, it also ensures that these homes will resist future weather events and prevent families from living in uncertainty every hurricane season.”
The home’s reconstruction will include a kitchen, Energy star-certified solar lighting and water heater; stormproof windows, ceiling fans for all bedrooms and the living room, and a space to place a water tank and a power generator.
With a total allocation of $3.25 billion, the R3 Program provides eligible homeowners with assistance to repair or rebuild homes severely damaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria that are not located in hazard zones.
Eligible homeowners with affected homes in hazard zones—that is, in floodways or landslide-prone areas— may receive assistance for relocation.
Over 27,000 people have applied for the R3 Program as of today; they can access https://recuperacion.pr.gov/iframes/intakestatus to know the status of their application by using their case number.
People with any functional diversity or disability or those who require more information about these programs, may contact the call center at 1 (833) 234-2324; write us an email at infoCDBG@vivienda.pr.gov; visit our webpage www.recuperacion.pr.gov; or write us at PO Box 21365 San Juan, PR 00928-1365.
