Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led 7 of her colleagues from the New York delegation in a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) urging the agency to reassign jurisdiction of its San Juan Field Office from Region IV in Atlanta to Region II in New York.

"Relocating the San Juan Field Office back to Region II offers several benefits to both HUD and the Puerto Rican people," wrote the lawmakers. "For instance, many of HUD's federal partners-including FEMA, the Departments of Commerce (DOC) and Health and Human Services (HHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Small Business Administration (SBA)-serve Puerto Rico through their offices in New York. Reassigning the San Juan office to Region II would streamline operations and improve interagency collaboration."

In the letter, the lawmakers argue that reassigning jurisdiction over the San Juan Field Office would help aid and expedite Puerto Rico's ongoing recovery from Hurricane María. As of August 2024, only 16% of the $20.4 billion allocated for Puerto Rico through HUD has been disbursed.

The move would also enhance operational efficiency by leveraging ties between Puerto Rico and New York. The tri-state area is home to the second largest group of Puerto Ricans living in the mainland, and three of the four members of Congress of Puerto Rican descent represent New York.

In addition to Velázquez, the letter was also signed by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Dan Goldman (D-NY), and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

For a full copy of the letter, click here.

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