Tidal Basin Caribe’s technical expertise includes all services associated with emergency and disaster management, including grants management, comprehensive project formulation, and financial and environmental compliance. We have been assisting Commonwealth agencies and Municipios, such as PREPA, PRDOH and ENLACE, since 2018. Our expert team advises clients how to take advantage of program eligibility to optimize financial recovery following disasters.
Puerto Rico Experience
Puerto Rico Department of Housing (PRDOH) – Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) / “TU HOGAR RENACE” Program Our team managed the $1.7B+ FEMA STEP (“Tu Hogar Renace”) pilot program (largest in FEMA’s history), which delivered life-sustaining home repairs and temporary power to all 78 municipalities after Hurricanes Irma and María devastated the island. Within 72 hours, we hired and deployed over 700 local staff and established a bilingual call center. At the program’s peak, we staffed 1,500 local hires who engaged with 215K residents, and using our proprietary,
fully auditable system managed intake, eligibility, inspections, contractor billing, call-center support, and closeout with zero OIG findings. In fifteen months, we processed 122K applicants and completed 108K home repairs, including roof, window, wall, water-heater fixes, and essential power, so families could safely shelter in place while permanent reconstruction proceeded. PRDOH, HUD CDBG-DR, Home Repair, Reconstruction, or Relocation (R3) Program The Alliance for the Recovery of Puerto Rico (a joint venture of Tidal Basin Caribe and Atkins, with Tidal Basin Caribe as the managing partner) has supported PRDOH with managing their $2.9B+ HUD CDBG-DR/MIT Home Repair, Reconstruction, or Relocation (R3) Program. The program assisted homeowners across Puerto Rico with repairing or reconstructing storm-damaged homes in non-hazard zones or voluntarily relocating those in flood plains, floodways, or landslide-prone areas. Our team opened two intake centers, processed over 6,700 applicants in five months, and assisted
more than 4,100 homes with repairs, rebuilds, or relocations. While ensuring full compliance with CDBG-DR and cross-cutting requirements, our bilingual case managers handled every step including intake, eligibility determination, damage assessments, environmental reviews, appraisals, award coordination, construction management, inspections, and closeouts. We set program records for grant agreements signed, Notices to Proceed issued, and first-ever demolition inspections. Since the program’s inception, we have successfully closed out Tasks 1–3, delivering resilient housing solutions and accelerating Puerto Rico’s recovery.
Powered by FlippingBook