(San Juan, P.R.) – The Department of Housing notified that the fifth substantial amendment to the Action Plan for the CDBG-DR Program is available and posted on the webpage for citizens to submit their comments electronically, by telephone, or by mail.

“The opinion of all the residents of the Island on this process is very important; thus, we encourage the general community, particularly nonprofit organizations, government and non-government entities, as well as other interested parties to share this announcement with their families, friends, and neighbors. We want that all of Puerto Rico be part of our Island’s reconstruction,” said Secretary of Housing, Luis Fernández Trinchet.

This amendment clarifies and broadens the activities of the Puerto Rico’s Geospatial Framework Program (formerly, Agency Planning Initiatives Program), the Non-federal Match Program, and the City Revitalization Program.

Likewise, other programmatic changes were included, such as the clarification on eligibility criteria and program description of the Community Energy and Water Resilience Installations Program; the Small Business Financing Program; the Small Business Incubators and Accelerators Program, the Workforce Training Program; the Tourism and Business Marketing Program; and the Economic Development Investment Portfolio for Growth Program.

Furthermore, the amendment eliminates the Construction or Commercial Revolving Loan Program; the Multifamily Reconstruction, Repair, and Resilience Program; and the Puerto Rico by Design Program.

The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Program is also eliminated; however, its activities are consolidated into the Non-Federal Match Program. Likewise, the Community Resilience Centers Program is consolidated under the City Revitalization Program.

Fernández Trinchet stated that other changes include updates to the budget table to reflect the reallocation of funds from the eliminated programs; revisions to some images to correspond with proposed text; the correction of Amendment 4’s language to past tense; and other minor grammatical changes.

For detailed information on the amendment, citizens may access the Action Plan at www.recuperacion.pr.gov.