Our Community Planning and Development Work

Since 2017, HF has led a number of community planning and development initiatives, including the repairing and fortification of homes damaged by natural disasters, conducting culturally and linguistically competent outreach regarding the 2020 census, and more. Learn about this work below.

Housing Repairs and Reconstruction

Since 2017, HF has provided more than $2.5 million in funding to 17 organizations to repair and reconstruct homes of the most vulnerable residents across historically underserved communities. In Humacao, our partner PECES, Inc, witnessed homes destroyed by major flooding and restored dozens of homes with HF funding. In Orocovis and Adjuntas, Proyecto Matria and Ponce Neighborhood Housing Services reconstructed 30 homes torn apart by powerful winds. Through our partnerships with community-based organizations, more than 525 homes were repaired or rebuilt touching an estimated population of 1,400 residents.

Census Education and Mobilization

Launched during the early months of the pandemic, Yo Cuento Puerto Rico was Puerto Rico’s most extensive non-governmental census effort. To ensure successful participation, the campaign combined key Census information with food and personal protection equipment (PPE) distribution and included a culturally and linguistically competent public education and outreach strategy, mass media activities, and maximized allyship to reach historically undercounted communities.

Our collective efforts directly reached over 133,000 residents, distributed over 55,000 informational pieces, and trained 150 Census campaign coordinators and canvassers. In addition, our multi-media public education campaign and local events reached over 1.5 million individuals.

Since 2020, HF has continued collaborating with the U.S. Census Bureau through participation in the Addresses Subgroup of the Federal Geographic Data Committee and The Opportunity Project. Both efforts are working toward the development of technical, governance and community solutions to better define and tackle issues like the lack of address standardization, lack of general access to data, and obstacles that prevent populations from receiving mail-based services.