The guide will assist in the planning phases of pre and post disaster housing
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico - To address the need for adequate disaster housing planning, FEMA released a Spanish-version of “Planning Consideration: Disaster Housing”. This guide aims to provide guidance to government and private sector officials on housing-specific planning recommendations that may be applied when developing or updating housing plans in the context of a disaster or an emergency.
“Housing planning is essential to the effective recovery of our communities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to support the people of Puerto Rico for many years to come,” said the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, José Baquero Tirado.
The guide was developed in collaboration with key disaster housing stakeholders and includes significant feedback from across the federal government, the states of Louisiana and North Carolina, and the city of Houston, Texas. It provides key considerations to urban planning professionals, including shelter, provisional and permanent housing. An informational briefing was conducted with representatives from across Puerto Rico in July and feedback showed the benefit of providing a Spanish translation of the document.
The Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Housing, Luis Fernández Trinchet, highlighted the importance of this document while reiterating that “after the natural disasters we have faced in the past years, which include hurricanes, floods and earthquakes, it has become evident that there is a need to continue planning and organizing our Island according to the building codes and the new established guidelines that always ensure the safety and lives of the citizens. We appreciate this joint effort that we are certain will be of great value to continue rebuilding Puerto Rico, while mitigating and providing a resilient Island for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Planning and development of disaster housing requires several phases – from temporary solutions for short-term, small-scale events to catastrophic disasters where the need for housing can last for weeks or even months. Sometimes permanent housing is also required, as in the case of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. To view the guide please www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/plan
“The COR3 team, as a recipient of FEMA recovery funds, maintains its availability to provide support and any assistance that may be required by the Department of Housing, which is the recipient of CDBG-DR funds, and by any sub-recipient so that the process of rebuilding the Island is carried out as all Puerto Ricans expect. It is important to continue optimizing tools to improve urban planning and development in order to have stronger structures that are capable of withstanding different natural events,” said the Executive Director of the Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3), Ottmar Chavez.
For more information on Puerto Rico's recovery from Hurricane María, visit fema.gov/disaster/4339 and recuperacion.pr. Follow us on our social networks at Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico, Facebook.com/COR3pr and on Twitter @COR3pr.