Public Housing Administration details $758 million recommended budget, modernization and resident services plans

Juan Rosario Hernández, administrator of the Administración de Vivienda Pública (ABP), presented the authority’s budget and program priorities to the House Finance Committee, saying the ABP administers roughly 53,621 public‑housing units across 333 public-housing developments and operates with substantial federal funding.

"The ABP administers 12,827 vouchers under Section 8, including project-based vouchers," Hernández said. "The budget recommended for the ABP for fiscal year 2025–26 is $758,238,000, of which 99.2% are federal funds."

Key figures and priorities

- Inventory and assets: ABP reported 53,621 units across 333 public-housing developments island-wide, with capital assets valued at $1,115,000,000. Management of projects is subcontracted to 10 managing agents and one municipality (Camuy).

- Budget breakdown: Hernández gave a recommended ABP budget of $758,238,000 for FY2025–26. Line-item highlights included payroll ($56 million), professional services ($103.3 million), utilities ($21.1 million), purchased services ($205 million), miscellaneous ($220 million), capital/improvements ($113 million) and debt service ($35.1 million). The ABP also anticipates a $3.1 million state allocation to cover payroll and mobility staff transferred from the Electric Power Authority.

- Disaster recovery and FEMA estimates: FEMA estimated damage to the public-housing inventory after Hurricane María at approximately $2,415.7 million; after insurance offsets FEMA’s obligated amount is about $1,592 million. The ABP reported it has begun procurement processes for recovery works that include roofing, exterior painting, recreational-area repairs, administration-office repairs, lighting replacements and door replacements.

- Modernization and new construction: The ABP presented planned new developments and modernization projects for FY2025–26, including Ponce de León (222 units), Los Álamos (approx. 338 units), Torres de Sabana (166 units) and two projects in Vieques (111 units total). Large modernization projects cited included Bella Vista ($41 million), El Taíno ($23 million), Los Laureles ($29 million), Cuesta Vieja phases (combined $61 million), Rafael Torres (partial modernization including seismic reinforcement; $320M first phase) and Pedro Rosalí (two-phase; $39.5M and $28M).

- Accessibility and ADA work: The ABP plans mobility-improvement projects affecting 845 existing units with an estimated investment of about $150 million to meet federal accessibility requirements.

- Resident services: ABP said it will invest approximately $39 million in resident services during the coming fiscal year, including workforce training, entrepreneurship programs, recreational initiatives and senior programming.

Security and resilience

Hernández said ABP will continue to strengthen security plans in projects through collaboration with federal and local law-enforcement agencies and noted an ongoing evaluation of technologies used by police (including localized acoustic-detection systems) as part of broader safety strategies. The authority also described an ambitious solar/resilience proposal: a two‑phase program to equip community centers at public‑housing developments with photovoltaic systems, battery storage and related upgrades — an initial 10 developments followed by 100 more, for a total of 110 complexes and an estimated investment of $140 million.

Why it matters: The ABP budget and program list show major capital and service priorities for the island’s public housing stock, including a mix of new construction, modernization, accessibility upgrades and resilience investments that will require federal funds, procurement and ongoing project management.

Ending

Committee members asked ABP for municipal-level voucher wait-list figures, detail on the nine senior-targeted projects the authority referenced, and a full list of modernization projects and procurement timetables; Hernández and staff agreed to provide the requested materials within five business days.