Large recovery-funded projects crawl like molasses

On September 16, 2021, the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI) published that, four years after Irma and María, only 1% of FEMA funds for permanent work had been disbursed, according to its analysis of COR3 portal data.

Through early September, FEMA had obligated 19 billion for permanent works; COR3 had disbursed 217 million of that amount among municipalities, agencies and nonprofits. Puerto Rico was assigned 62 billion in recovery funds from FEMA, HUD and 17 other federal entities. The largest pot sits in FEMA Public Assistance and in HUD CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT grants. Of 9.7 billion in CDBG-DR, 333 million had been spent (3%) per HUD data through late July; of 8.2 billion in HUD mitigation, nothing had been spent.

Jayuya mayor Jorge González Otero — a municipality with 250 million in federal funds assigned to rebuild buildings, roads and bridges, the largest in that snapshot; San Juan still had 96 million — asked to “take a machete” to the contract of ICF Incorporated, which since 2018 had won 406 million in contracts with Housing and COR3 to advise municipalities and agencies. Omar Marrero (AAFAF), Manuel Laboy Rivera (COR3) and William Rodríguez (Housing) heard the complaint; Laboy said he had given ICF an “earful.”

González Otero also questioned road damage under the central Government: DTOP identified 56 damaged sections; the municipality claims 115 after inspecting ditches, landslides and culverts. Canóvanas mayor Lornna Soto Villanueva announced in May her first recovery-funded project (Cubuy court; FEMA assigned 586,000 dollars) and warned that other municipal proposals exceeded awarded costs — in one case by 500,000 dollars — because of material inflation and FEMA delay.

Obligated is not disbursed. Assigned is not spent. A mayor’s complaint is not a contract cancellation.