Puerto Rican families still in limbo waiting for housing extension

ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 200 days ago, powerful winds and pounding rain pulled life apart in Puerto Rico.

But now, Hurricane Maria survivors are standing on a corner in Orlando, begging the federal government to save them from the streets.

“They cannot be left out without a shelter in the state they (are in). There needs to be a planning process,” said Carlos Mercader, the executive director of the Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration.

To extend the hotel assistance program for evacuees in Florida, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials needed a request from the Puerto Rican governor.

The request came Wednesday afternoon, about the same time FEMA granted Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas an extension.

“It’s in FEMA’s hands. It’s their decision, but we’re asking them to please extend the program so people in the states can stay there,” said Mercader.

Puerto Rico’s unstable electric grid failed again Wednesday, causing an island-wide outage once more.

It’s another reason members of families in limbo said going back is not an option.

Mercader said he has confidence families can move back soon.

"We believe that a lot of opportunities are starting to come up in this reconstruction process for people to come in and start getting new jobs, new opportunities with the federal government and the private sector,” he said.

Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration officials said incentives are coming for people to move back, starting with $20 billion in federal funding to kick-start the economy.

Cox Media Group