New Supplemental Disaster Funding Assistance Awarded to Puerto Rico

ACL is pleased to announce that it is making a supplemental disaster funding assistance grant available in response to the catastrophic damage (including flooding and infrastructure destruction) that Puerto Rico experienced as a result of Hurricane Fiona on September 18, 2022.

ACL has released $7.8 million in supplement funding to the disaster funding assistance issued to Puerto Rico on May 1, 2023, in response to Hurricane Fiona under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, PL 117-328, and the Older Americans Act (OAA). The OAA authorizes limited funding to state units on aging and OAA Title VI tribal grantees to help offset the costs of meeting the critical needs of older adults in recovery efforts following major disasters, including Hurricane Fiona. To receive the supplemental funding, the Puerto Rico Ombudsman Office for the Elderly (PROOE) submitted an application to ACL describing how the funds will be used to expand their current project activities to include additional senior centers impacted by the hurricane.

Many of the senior centers reported damage to their structures and equipment, such as generators and cisterns, which impacted their operations and thus their ability to assist older adult survivors — many of whom live alone in their communities. Senior centers are a lifeline for older adults in their communities and are vital partners in the emergency recovery process journey. They serve approximately 17,340 participants in Puerto Rico, including providing meals.

With this funding, PROOE will be able to expand their ability to continue to assist older adult survivors by expanding their project from 15 senior centers to up to 51 senior centers, providing these vital community centers with emergency shelf-stable meals and solar panels, as well as cisterns for 19 centers. This work will help senior centers to support older Puerto Ricans in maximizing their independence, well-being, and health, as well as their families and caregivers in their communities.