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2000 Best Practice Awards
Program and Geographical Winners: Puerto Rico
Best Practice: Technical Assistance to Community-based
Organizations in Augadilla, Puerto Rico
Unique Position Affords Assistance to Nonprofit
and Grass Root Organizations
Aguadilla.
To assist nonprofit and grass roots organizations in their administration
and organization, a Sub-Recipient Monitor position was created. The Community
Development Office recognized that nonprofit and grass root organizations
in the area had a need for guidance in their administration and organization
skills. The result a Sub-Recipient Monitor position. This position
coordinates with the Special Needs Coordinator to create a strategy for
providing technical and systematic assistance to these organizations. The
Sub-Recipient Monitor and Special Needs Coordinator assisted a number of
workshops and researched nonprofit organizations statutes and laws
in order to properly train the organizations that were requesting assistance.
The Municipal of Aguadillas staff developed a workshop involving project
and program managers, accountants, and proposal technicians of these organizations.
In 1999, through a variety of municipal departments and other entities,
16 organizations received assistance in the following areas: accounting,
financial management, proposal writing, incorporation procedures, development
and writing of by-laws, Federal Tax exemption 501(c)3, state tax exemption,
funding opportunities, and program operations. The training allowed these
nonprofits to obtain expanded funding and continue to grow as organizations.
Contact: Melanie Catalfomo, Phone: (787) 891-3965
Tracking Number: 3064
Winning Category: Program (Community Builders)
Best Practice: Mora Housing Management, Inc.
Successful Management Efforts and Funding
Invests in Social Services for Mora Housing
San Juan.
Mora Housing Management was structured to achieve full compliance with HUD
and mortgagee requirements, community participation of its low- to moderate-income
residents, and improved quality of life of its resident communities. Mora
Housing is a well-recognized company that currently has a total of 2,231
units, a 79% increase from the 1993 figure. Assisted by several entities
such as the Puerto Rico Housing Finance Corporation, the Health Department,
Social Services Department of Puerto Rico, Bilbao Vizcaya Bank, this program
relies on a vast team effort to meet the needs of its communities and maintain
a level of excellence in program and staff management. Mora provides affordable
housing through several homebuying training sessions and workshops, employment
incentive programs, and home rehabilitation systems. Social assistance of
Mora Housing include a drug prevention program, employment and educational
opportunities (such as the Stipend Program and Head Start), and recreational
activities for the youth and employment fairs for all residents. Mora has
proven to run efficiently for its residents and meets all funders
standards by implementing a project monitoring system, which reviews all
projects on a regular basis.
Contact: María Rubí, Phone:
(787) 793-8181
Tracking number: 2104
Winning Category: Program (Multifamily Housing)
Best Practice: San Juan, Puerto Rico Builds Accessible
Recreation with CDBG
Disability Accessible Recreation Center
Benefits 20,000
San Juan. The
Municipality of Hormigueros, developed a comprehensive idea for the planning,
design and construction of a recreation and sports complex for low- and
moderate-income families, including the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Planned activities carried out under this project included the acquisition
of land, plans and design of the project, and construction of the facilities.
The project, which demonstrates enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, also promotes the creation of job opportunities in the area,
economic development and the use and benefits of recreation facilities by
disabled residents. This project was as a result of a partnership with various
agencies such as Recreation and Sports Department of Puerto Rico, the Municipality
of Homigueros, other municipalities, and the Office of the Commissioner
of Municipal Affairs. As a result of the project, the economic base of the
community was strengthened and several obstacles of the disabled population
were overcome. The recreation center has benefited more than 20,000 people.
Contact: Maria R. Ortiz, Phone: (787) 754-1600
Tracking Number: 3015
Winning Category: Program (Fair Housing and Equal Opportuntiy)
Best Practice: San Juan, Puerto Rico Resident Survey
Marketing
Targeted Marketing Materials Reach 60,000
Public Housing Residents
San Juan.
The Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration has taken several steps to
inform the nearly one million residents of public housing about the HUD
resident survey and its process. In 1999, HUD began a historic national
survey of residents who live in public housing to assess their level of
satisfaction with living conditions. Public housing agencies are required
to educate residents about the survey and encourage them to participate.
To assist their residents in understanding the materials, all marketing
and media materials, including the resident survey poster, have been translated
into Spanish. An informative brochure about the survey was produced and
distributed to all tenants and managing agents at all 7,200 properties,
and HUD provided education about the resident survey to all of the Public
Housing Administrations Administrative Agents. Over 60,000 residents
were reached through these materials.
Contact: John Blakeman, Phone: (787) 753-4409
Tracking Number: 1929
Winning Category: Program (Real Estate Assessment Center)
Best Practice: "Rayo de Luz (Ray of Light)"
in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Rayo de Luz Shines on 100+ Hurricane Devastated
Residents
Ponce.
This comprehensive 2-year project is slated to assist six public housing
communities in three municipalities of Puerto Rico, which suffered severe
effects on their economic and service infrastructures due to the passage
of Hurricanes Hortense in 1996 and Georges in 1998. The Sister Isolina Ferré
Centers, a nonprofit organization focusing on community development and
social service programs, received a grant from HUD for the Emergency Economic
Development and Supportive Services Program. From each of the six housing
communities, Rayo de Luz Project is serving at least 100 residents, selected
on the basis of their need for personal, academic, and career development
services and their potential to achieve economic self-sufficiency within
the 2-year period. The program offers job training and employment search
components, self-improvement and individual and group counseling opportunities
and academic tutoring and computer training. The program also advocates
self-employment and small business opportunities and has a goal of achieving
at least six small enterprises in the target areas through program incentives.
Integrating various entities such as public agencies, residence councils,
universities, non-profit organizations, and private management firms to
create effective partnerships, Rayo de Luz efficiently promoted the "one-stop-shop"
concept and involved the residents in a community effort of economic development.
Contact: Allan Cintron, Phone: (787) 844-7720
Tracking Number: 2040
Winning Category: Geographical
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Content Archived: April 20, 2011 |