The people of Puerto Rico have endured significant losses in recent years due to climate change- induced disasters, including Hurricanes Maria and Irma. From frequent storms that accelerate flooding to heat waves that make everyday tasks challenging, stakeholders across Puerto Rico continue to pursue innovative strategies to rebuild, recover, and ensure that the lowest-income households are not left behind in the aftermath of extreme weather events.
Puerto Rico’s commitment to community-driven solutions was palpable when Enterprise, LISC, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York capped off 2024 with an event in San Juan that gathered housing and climate experts working on both the Island and the mainland.
The event, “Recovery to Resilience: Collaborative Solutions for a Sustainable Puerto Rico,” highlighted strategies and initiatives from the book What’s Possible: Investing NOW for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods, as well as programs and innovations led by the Puerto Rico Department of Housing, HUD, Acacia Network, Marvel Architects, Inclusiv, Barrio Electrico, Center for a New Economy, and other organizations.
Enterprise’s collaboration with housing and community leaders in Puerto Rico dates back to 2001, when we helped finance 158 affordable homes through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Since 2012, Enterprise Advisors has provided technical assistance to local partners and advanced funding opportunities on the Island, further expanding our work after the 2017 hurricanes. This effort, led by Erika Ruiz, senior director at Enterprise Advisors, has developed trust and fostered partnerships with the goal of helping build resilient and equitable communities.
The event featured panel discussions and presentations as well as a fireside chat between Enterprise CEO and President Shaun Donovan and LISC President and CEO Michael T. Pugh, moderated by Madeline Fraser Cook, SVP of Community Building and Resilient Solutions at LISC. Their conversation explored the impact of the What’s Possible book and the housing and economic development work needed to build a more sustainable Puerto Rico.
“People understand that their homes and their communities are changing, and that we must change along with that,” said Donovan. “So this is a moment of opportunity for this book and the work that it represents to really change practices across the nation and across the globe.” Like Donovan, Pugh emphasized the importance of prioritizing communities with lower incomes: “We've got to be responsive to the communities that will be hit the hardest and have the slowest recovery, in order to help ensure they have a real chance at navigating through this difficult time.”
While the event speakers highlighted a range of topics, they underscored five common themes key to building on resilience and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.
1. Collaboration
Partnerships across nonprofits, government agencies, banks/community-based lenders, and private organizations are necessary for strengthening and preparing Puerto Rico for future climate disasters. Panelists highlighted the representation of organizations and entities from across the Island at the event as an example of the range of sectors that must unite to help Puerto Rico fully recover from the devastation of the most recent hurricanes, as well as to ensure that households across the Island are prepared for future extreme weather events. Increased collaboration will allow every organization to bring their strengths to the table, share best practices, and work together to address the climate challenges.
2. Preparation
Speakers emphasized the critical need for Puerto Rico to enhance its preparedness for future climate disasters. Preparation for the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events – particularly those exacerbating flooding – requires public education to raise awareness of risks, proactive planning to identify vulnerable critical infrastructure like communications and electricity systems, and fortifying homes and structures across the Island to withstand future disasters.
3. Climate Adaptability
Given the unpredictable nature of climate disasters, adaptability is essential for housing and climate stakeholders in Puerto Rico to effectively address emerging challenges and build resilience. It is crucial for municipalities and government agencies across the Island to prepare community members for climate hazards and reduce vulnerability by implementing local level changes that ease existing impacts of climate disasters and manage the risks of disasters to come.
4. People-Centered Resilience Planning
Prioritizing families who are harmed and displaced when disaster strikes in Puerto Rico was a common thread across all event panels and presentations. Panelists discussed involving community members in the development of climate resilience and recovery plans, as well as offering them solutions that go beyond replacing homes with more resilient structures and also help people heal from the trauma of surviving a disaster.
5. Financial Investments
Without public and private investments, innovative solutions, necessary preparation, adaptability, and other resilience building efforts would be impossible. Speakers throughout the event discussed the need for increased funding through the Inflation Reduction Act, Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocations, and other sources of federal funds committed to climate resilience. Additionally, panelists highlighted the impact of community development credit unions, or cooperativas, and their ability to drive investments directly to the individuals and families most impacted by disasters.
Find more inspiring examples of practical climate and community development solutions that create an equitable path to building strong and resilient communities in What’s Possible.