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Statement from NLIHC's Diane Yentel on HUD Delaying Disaster Preparation Money for Puerto Rico

Washington, DC - This latest move by HUD is another in a long line of delays in getting badly-needed recovery dollars to Puerto Rico, some 18 months since Congress appropriated the funds. Many of the most vulnerable survivors in Puerto Rico live in flood-prone areas without the critical infrastructure necessary to withstand another storm. Almost two years after Hurricane Maria, more than 300,000 homes still need repairs; nearly 33,000 deeply poor families sleep in homes where roofs that were blown off during the storm have yet to be replaced. Withholding mitigation grants mean that Puerto Ricans cannot plan for how they will invest these funds to make their communities more resilient to future natural disasters. With the 2019 hurricane season already underway, every day of inaction puts American lives at risk.