Gov’t urged to address potential displacement of families amid HUD rule changes

By THE STAR STAFF

Solo por Hoy Executive Director Belinda Hill urged the government on Thursday to work with non-profit organizations to prevent the displacement of 900 homeless families already located in permanent housing who next year could lose their homes if new federal policies are implemented requiring them to be treated for substance abuse.

One of the options, Hill said, is for the government to create new treatment centers.

“It’s up to the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA) to urgently create, in the short and medium term, centers for substance abuse treatment so that our people can be reintegrated into society and do not lose their housing,” she said. “Now there is no such thing, but they can be created if we want the best for our people and thus fulfilling President Donald Trump’s new housing policy that they receive treatment.”

“I see it as an opportunity to improve the quality of life of people with substance abuse problems who otherwise could lose their homes,” Hill added.

The Solo por Hoy director and president of the Continuum of Care (CoC) PR-502 estimated that although the new housing policy was temporarily halted this week by a court order, it is still unclear if it could yet be implemented next year. She estimated that there are more than 900 families in northern Puerto Rico that could lose their homes when they run out of federal vouchers for housing assigned to them by CoC PR 502, under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) new rules.

HUD reversed its policy change this week just before a court hearing on two lawsuits challenging the new rules. There is, however, the possibility of a new HUD notice being issued in the next few weeks, if there is a judicial agreement.

“We have housing projects that renew in January and it is not yet known if they will renew or not,” Hill said. “Homelessness organizations are on standby as to what will happen with this situation and it would be important to initiate dialogues with the government agencies to analyze possible scenarios as well as solutions.”