New York officials pledge aid to Puerto Rico
City and state leaders announced a $280,000 partnership during a four-day visit to the island.
By Eric Collins ·
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced new support for Puerto Rico on Friday. The two leaders spoke to reporters in San Juan, asserting that the recent Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections would benefit the territory. They framed the visit around the idea that the political shift would help address long-standing local challenges.
The officials are currently in Puerto Rico for a four-day annual conference. Their itinerary includes meetings with local nonprofit organizations. During their stay, they unveiled a specific financial commitment aimed at improving emergency preparedness on the island. The announcement marked a key moment in their tour of the territory.
The new partnership involves the Hispanic Federation and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. It provides $280,000 to help the island confront emergencies. The funds will go toward ten community-run resiliency hubs located across the island. These hubs will receive increased water storage capacity. Some locations will also install rain-collection systems, kitchen infrastructure, and solar power with battery storage.
Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, told The Associated Press that the funding is necessary to keep the Puerto Rico agenda on the national agenda. He stated that local public policies have often been harmful to the island’s residents. The organization views the new resources as a step toward stabilizing communities that face frequent disruptions to basic services.
Puerto Rico continues to struggle with chronic power outages and intermittent water shortages. The island is still in the process of rebuilding from Hurricane Maria, which struck in September 2017, and other subsequent disasters. The loss of recent federal funding for solar projects has added to the difficulty of these recovery efforts. Residents report that these issues affect their daily lives and health.
The announcement comes months after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump canceled solar projects in Puerto Rico. These projects were designed to assist thousands of low-income families. One specific project, valued at $400 million, aimed to install solar and battery storage systems in low-income homes and those occupied by residents with medical needs. The U.S. Department of Energy stated that the money would instead be used to maintain the crumbling power grid.
The grid was already weakened by a lack of maintenance and investment before being damaged by Hurricane Maria. The decision to cancel the solar projects prompted outrage on the island as federal support for renewable energy faded. The shift in funding priorities left many residents and organizations uncertain about how they would meet their energy needs going forward.
Last week, six Puerto Rico residents sued the U.S. Energy Department and its secretary, Chris Wright. The lawsuit followed the scrapping of a $1 billion federally funded program for solar power and battery storage. The lawsuit stated that the cost of such systems remains out of reach for the majority of Puerto Ricans. The residents cited serious health conditions that require reliable electricity for equipment and medications.
Among the plaintiffs is Ileana Ríos, a 63-year-old resident of Arecibo. Ríos is diabetic and requires refrigeration for her insulin. Her son has asthma and uses a nebulizer that depends on electricity. The lawsuit notes that Ríos regularly loses power during stable weather and for weeks during storms. The other residents in the case have similar health dependencies on stable power.
The lawsuit asks a judge to order the U.S. Energy Department to reinstate the grant program. The agency did not return a message seeking comment on the filing. The loss of funding has been a significant blow to nonprofits that faced months of uncertainty while awaiting the administration’s decision. Sybelle Rodriguez del Valle, director of operations at the nonprofit Barrio Eléctrico, said the lack of communication made the period feel isolating. Barrio Eléctrico serves more than 500 families and had lost an estimated $16 million to $20 million in funding before the program ended.
