Report: Community groups have become vital facilitators of affordable housing

By The Star Staff

Over the past 10 years, community groups across Puerto Rico have developed to play a vital role in supporting affordable homes and stronger communities, particularly in the wake of record-breaking climate-fueled disasters.

In a new report, Enterprise – among the largest affordable housing nonprofits in the country – shows how those community groups have effectively developed into powerful intermediaries and first responders, channeling needed funds and know-how to yield resilient communities across the island.

The report is an illustration for how, at a time of dramatic cuts to government funding, small community-led organizations are foundational to affordability and resilience.

“Over the past decade, we’ve been working alongside housing community development organizations across the island, offering financial support but also critical technical assistance to help the sector grow and develop,” said Erika Ruiz, senior director at Enterprise Advisors, the consulting services arm of Enterprise Community Partners. “Today, while there are still major hurdles to getting assistance and investments to communities island-wide, these community development organizations are now trusted, critical links in the chain to ensure communities stabilize, recover, and prosper, especially in the wake of disasters and other challenges.”

In the report – “A Decade of Impact: Strengthening Puerto Rico’s Nonprofits for Growth and Resilience” – Enterprise’s Impact and Evaluation team shows that through over $2 million in investments and grant support, the community development sector in Puerto Rico has been able to grow and thrive. Historically, the sector has been plagued by a variety of challenges including funding gaps, leadership deficits, a lack of infrastructure, and an inability to meet compliance requirements, all of which has stalled the organizations’ ability to support vulnerable communities across Puerto Rico.

“Enterprise doesn’t just provide funding,” said Carmen Matos of Fundación De Desarrollo Comunal (FUNDESCO). “They ensure we know how to use it.”

Through those funds and advisory and technical assistance, Enterprise has worked alongside the sector and the Puerto Rico Department of Housing to improve these organizations’ ability to offer flexible, sustainable support to communities island-wide. That support has allowed the groups to diversify funding streams, leverage resources channeled from the Puerto Rican government, improve disaster preparedness and response, and secure additional federal funds.