Dear friend of Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico,

Each of our achievements are made possible thanks to your collaboration and commitment. Thank you for allowing us to continue building homes, communities, and hope!

Today, we celebrate the successful conclusion of the Home Repair program in the municipalities of Cabo Rojo and Lajas. Following the passage of Hurricane Fiona, the communities of Lajas, Ponce, and Cabo Rojo were affected, but thanks to the joint effort of our corporate allies, including AbbVie, Liberty Foundation, The 20/22 Act Society Foundation, and others, we have made a significant difference.

We celebrate the positive impact of more than 43 families in this area, with a total of 823 repairs since the beginning of the program after Hurricanes Irma and Maria across the entire island. Our commitment remains steadfast in providing more families with the peace of mind and stability that comes from having a secure roof. Each repair represents one more step towards the rebuilding and strengthening of our communities. 

Today, seven families have succeeded in becoming homeowners, thanks to the collaborative agreement with the Housing Financing Authority (AFV in Spanish), where Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico became the first non-profit organization in Puerto Rico authorized to provide assistance to primary homebuyers through CDBG-DR funds.

Through the Homebuyer Assistance Program (HBA), the AFV provided financial assistance for closing costs and down payment of the first mortgage for these families. We thank the families for daring to say yes to the Habitat Homeownership Program, and today, we celebrate the closing of their mortgage. We also thank Oriental Bank for providing closing services, the legal team Morell,Cartagena & Dapena, and AFV for their support in achieving these mortgage closings. With these families, a total of ten mortgage closings have been completed in the past semester.

In our continuous search for solutions for vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico, we are pleased to present a valuable resource: a tool kit on collective land ownership. Developed in collaboration with Professor Ana Cristina Gómez from the University of Puerto Rico, this tool kit highlights the community land trust as an option to secure housing tenure. We share this resource with legal clinics, community leaders, and affordable housing organizations, and it is available on our website [www.habitatpr.org/support-land-tenure] (www.habitatpr.org/support-land-tenure).

The tool kit is based on case studies of land trust deeds and offers a step-by-step approach to assessment and implementation. Designed for communities seeking flexible ownership models, it effectively addresses legal and post-disaster recovery issues. It is important to note that this resource is an educational working tool for organizations and community leaders, does not replace specific legal advice, and aims to promote community education to address the land tenure challenge. Professor Gómez Pérez emphasizes that community education is key to success in any land tenure-related initiative.

Last August, we had the opportunity to present the housing situation in Puerto Rico, exchange knowledge, and identify future collaborations with other representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean during the 5th Housing and Habitat Forum held from July 31 to August 2 in Bogotá, Colombia.

This event recognized housing as a necessary tool to address the climate and social crisis. Additionally, topics such as land tenure and disaster risk reduction were discussed.

Participants in the photo from left to right: Amanda Silva (Habitat Puerto Rico), Jennifer Massiah (Habitat Trinidad & Tobago), Brent McFee (Mortgage Finance Company Limited, Trinidad & Tobago), Ángela de la Cruz (MITMA España), and Cerin Kizhakkethottam (UN Habitat)

In recent months, our dedicated construction team has completed the rehabilitation of 6 homes in the municipalities of Caguas, Trujillo Alto, Santa Isabel, Fajardo, Salinas y Rio Grande Today, we are pleased to announce that these homes are ready and available for occupancy by low and moderate-income families seeking their own homes.

This achievement represents a significant step in our mission to provide safe and affordable housing to communities in need. We sincerely appreciate the hard work of our team and the ongoing collaboration of our valuable allies and donors.

Photo on the top located in Caguas.

Our mission would not be possible without the collaboration of donors and volunteers who, with their financial support and time, make our work possible. We are grateful for the, who supported our mission during the last year:

Academia María Reina, Academia del Perpetuo Socorro, AJC International, Acha Trading, Able Sales Company, Allied Logistics, Amazon Web Service (AWS), Anderson Trucking Services International, Asociación de Relacionistas de PR, Athletic Brewing, Ayala e Hijos, Ballester-Soegard Family, Baldwin School, Bank of America, Basset Furniture, Bayamón Board of Realtors, CBX Global, Commercial Equipment Finance, Centro para la Nueva Economía, Commonwealth Parkville School, Comisión Especial de Fondos Legislativos, Cummins Caribbean, Cupeyville School, Colegio Puertorriqueño de Niñas, Dorney Koppel Foundation, Dynamin PR Freight & Services, Empresas Amador, Estrellas Homes, Ferraiuoli LLC, First Bank, First Reformed Protestant Church, Flexitank, Gordon Brothers Foundation, Henríquez & Asociados, HKK Brisbane Distribution, International Shipping Agency, Jim Valentine Family, Julio Rodríguez US Custom, Kevane Grant Thornton, Lanco Paints, Liberty Foundation, MINDS Publicidad, McAllister Towing and Transportation, MA Interiors Design, Monserrate-Simonet and Gierbolini, Morell Dapena & Cartagena, Nexo Management PR, Oscar Logistics, Oriental Bank, Plaza Las Americas, Psycho Bunny, PR Logistic, Premier Transport, Priority Roro Services, PR Open, Red Tower Security, Rooms to Go, San Juan Board of Realtors, Sachs Chemical, Servimetal LLC, Starbucks Foundation, Super Guaraguao International, Supermercados Amigo, Super Truck Parts, Tetrad Entreprises, The 20/22 Act Society Foundation, Popular Auto, Trailer Bridge, Triple S, Univision Foundation, UltraPure System, Walgreens, Walmart Foundation, Wells Fargo, Yellowtrans, Yates Bird Group, and Zillow.