By Natalie M. Colon-Arroyo | External Resources Consultant
Techos para el Caño continues to work for Caño residents so they can live safely sheltered under a new, resilient roof.
Our architects continue to ensure that the roofs built are safe, resilient, well designed, and adapt to each home’s specific situation. They have assessed a total of 83 homes to evaluate hurricane inflicted damages, and to ensure that they can appropriately support a new roof. They have adjusted the typical design to each home’s particular situation, designed individual, specific roof repairs, producing a plan for construction for over 76 of those homes.
Contractors have carried out roof repairs or construction as specified by the architect, ensuring appropriate anchoring and construction. Donations from people like you, with support from nonprofits, have helped us build new, resilient, permanent roofs for a total of 73 families.
After they have been fully constructed, each of these 73 roofs has been inspected by our architects to ensure quality and compliance with standards. All inspections have yielded positive results, meaning roofs inspected have been constructed according to the standards and specifications set by our architects.
The Techos para el Caño community leader committee continues to be an asset, providing valuable insight for our team of professionals, and helping families through the process, as is the case with Ramonita. Hurricane Maria took Ramonita’s roof, and left her with a devasted home. She lived in the second story, which could not support a new roof, so it seemed we could not help her. A member of the committee proposed a creative solution: If she could find a way to demolish the already unusable second story, and begin repairing the first story, we could build a resilient roof to make her a home. She found a way, and so did we, giving her a chance to rebuild her home and start over.
“Se los agradezco mucho. Ese techo quedó precioso. Todo el mundo me dice: ¡qué lindo ese techo! Ahora voy a hacer mi piso poco a poco.”
“I thank you so much. The roof is gorgeous. Everyone tells me: ‘that roof is beautiful!’ Now I’m going to do my floors, bit by bit.”
- Ramonita, homeowner
Oher community members have been just as satisfied as Ramonita, and have also seen their new roof as a new beginning for their homes:
“Estoy agradecido. Ahora voy poco a poco arreglando mi casita.”
“I’m thankful. Now, I can begin fixing my home, bit by bit.”
- Don Hector, homeowner
“Yo le llamo super techo. ¡Aguanta de tó!”
“I call it ‘super roof.’ It can withstand anything!”
- Luz, homeowner
It has been over one year since Puerto Rico was hit by the category 4, full force of Hurricane Maria, yet many people still lack the roof Maria took from them. Too many people still need help, so we will build as many roofs as funding allows. We thank you for your support, and ask that you help us give more people new beginnings.
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