The Puerto Rico Department of Housing (PRDOH) has developed a Citizen Participation Plan in compliance with the requirements of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The objective of the Citizen Participation Plan is to provide Puerto Rico residents with the opportunity to provide feedback and participate in the planning and evaluation of PRDOH’s CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT recovery programs. In order to facilitate citizen participation, PRDOH has coordinated actions to encourage participation and allow equal access to information on the programs.
Some of the most important elements of the Citizen Participation Plan are:
Comments on the Citizen Participation Plan
Citizens comments are welcome on this Plan for the entire duration of this grant. Contact PRDOH using the following methods:
By phone
1-833-234-CDBG or 1-833-234-2324
(TTY: 787-522-5950)
Monday to Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm
By email to:
infoCDBG@vivienda.pr.gov – for all CDBG-DR Inquiries
CDBG-MIT@vivienda.pr.gov – for all CDBG-MIT inquiries
Online at:
https://cdbg-dr.pr.gov/en/contact
Written at:
Puerto Rico CDBG-DR Program/CDBG-MIT Program
P.O. Box 21365 San Juan, PR 00928-1365
CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Citizen Advisory Committee is a space of participation that the Department of Housing has made feasible for all those stakeholders, community leaders, community organizations, academic institutions and others, so that they can contribute to the development of programs under CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT.
COMPLAINTS
The Puerto Rico Department of Housing (PRDOH) integrates citizens’ complaints on any issue related to the overall administration of CDBG-DR funds, in efforts to meet Puerto Rico’s long-term recovery needs for the duration of the grant. Housing aims to offer an opportunity to address all complaints received and maintaining open communication regarding citizens’ concerns is a priority.
CDBG-MIT
The PRDOH has initiated the process of coordinating with a variety of stakeholder groups to ensure that the community perspective is incorporated into this unprecedented planning effort. This commitment is taking place in a time where Puerto Rico is going through the impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). On March 15, 2020, Governor Wanda Vazquez issued an executive order OE-2020-023, which strengthened the executive order of March 12, 2020, declaring Puerto Rico in a state of emergency. OE-2020-023 imposed a stricter curfew on citizens, requiring them to remain in their homes and ordered the temporary closure of local businesses, with the exception of those engaged in essential activities.
PROPOSALS
The Housing Department of Puerto Rico held a series of initial public views during the development of the action plan to collect the first data provided by the citizens affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which began on Monday March 5 of 2018 and concluded on Saturday March 10 of 2018.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
The Housing Department of Puerto Rico held a series of public hearings to promote citizen participation during the public comment period related to the substantial amendment to the Action Plan, which began on Monday, October 15, 2018 and ended on Friday, October 19 of 2018.
