Santini warns PDP’s housing halt proposal could trigger mass exodus

By The Star Staff

New Progressive Party (NPP) Secretary General Jorge Santini warned that the Popular Democratic Party’s (PDP) proposal to halt new housing construction could force over 500,000 Puerto Ricans to leave the island.

“The Popular Party told the working class, women heads of households, and young people that their dream of owning a home in Puerto Rico will never materialize,” Santini said in a written statement.

His remarks come after Coamo Mayor Juan Carlos García Padilla called for a moratorium on new residential projects along the Coamo-Santa Isabel border, citing overloaded water and energy systems. Santini criticized the proposal, saying it contradicts the urgent need to increase housing supply, as only about 60 new units are built per month. “Now Pablo José’s PPD wants to end all new construction,” he stated.

Santini also warned that halting construction would spike housing prices and stall municipal economic development. “The average price of a new home is $367,717. With this freeze, it could exceed $1 million in days,” he claimed. He also questioned why the proposal doesn’t start in Coamo itself but targets Santa Isabel instead.

Meanwhile, Mayor García Padilla urged the Water and Sewer Authority, Planning Board, and Permit Management Office to stop endorsing new housing projects in the affected area. He said these developments are worsening existing issues without corresponding upgrades to infrastructure.

“The water crisis is spreading due to a lack of planning,” the mayor said, explaining that developments in Santa Isabel strain the same water and power systems serving Coamo communities like Cuyón and Santa Ana, already plagued by service interruptions.

García Padilla highlighted the lack of urban planning, noting that many vacant lots and abandoned properties in urban centers go unused while new developments stretch strained resources. “There’s not enough water, and the infrastructure is failing,” he added.

The mayor also flagged electrical concerns, pointing out that Coamo lacks adequate backup power lines and that continuing to add developments threatens the stability of the grid. He called on agencies to shift focus to revitalizing existing urban areas with available infrastructure.