Supporting current and future disaster relief efforts for Puerto Rico

2019 Microgrant

Cuerpo Consultivo para el Desarrollo de Río Piedras (CCDRP) aims to develop the first community-driven disaster preparedness and recovery mapping inventory in Puerto Rico. Mapping activities will be completed across the eight communities that form Río Piedras to understand what unmet needs still exist from past disaster events, to identify critical infrastructure needed to support disaster relief efforts, and to identify organizations and individuals who can support future relief efforts.

About the community

The Río Piedras Development Advisory Board (Cuerpo Consultivo para el Desarrollo de Río Piedras or CCDRP by its Spanish abbreviation) is a citizen-led nonprofit organization within the framework of the Special Act for the Rehabilitation of Río Piedras (Puerto Rico Law Number 75 of 1995). Composed by members of community organizations, residents, business owners, students and academia, the CCDRP has 13 board members, project staff (2) and participation from volunteers (2). Constituted in 2016 the CCDRP main goal is to promote a citizen-led planning effort for a new Development Plan for Río Piedras and to develop initiatives that better social, economic and cultural activities in our city. Currently, we are working on informing policy makers on the importance of community action in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane María, residents experience with federal and local emergency aid claims and the need for further participation and transparency in Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) programs and fund disbursements. We work with the Interagency Group for Río Piedras in presenting day to day issues that arise in government services for the wider community.