How to request materials assistance to repair your home in Puerto Rico

It is a Department of Housing program that helps with construction materials to repair a home. The structure of the process says a lot about how it works: the agency asks for a materials estimate for the affected area, three quotes certified by hardware stores from an official list, and written evidence of the agreement with the contractor who will do the labor. In other words, the program is organized around materials, and the labor is on you, with a contractor you find and with whom you must reach a written agreement before applying.

The requirements list indicates who may apply without saying so in those words. A photocopy of the deed or evidence establishing you as the property owner is required, so it is a program for owners, not tenants. A 2×2 photo of the applicant and spouse is asked for, along with proof of income for everyone over 18 living in the house, plus certifications from PAN, Unemployment, ASUME and Social Security: the evaluation looks at the whole household, not only at whoever signs. The program regulation is published by the agency itself and is where the detailed eligibility rules live; this guide does not reproduce them because the Department does not summarize them on this page.

• The Program application duly completed, and a 2×2 photo of the applicant and spouse.Verified against the official source
• A photocopy of the deed or evidence establishing you as the property owner.Verified against the official source
• Proof of income for every person over 18 residing in the house.Verified against the official source
• Nutrition Assistance (PAN) Certification, Unemployment Certification, ASUME Certification and Social Security Certification.Verified against the official source
• A copy of the Social Security card for everyone residing in the house, and a copy of photo identification for everyone over 18.Verified against the official source
• A water, electricity or telephone bill in the applicant’s name.Verified against the official source
• A materials estimate for the affected area, and a photo of the home.Verified against the official source
• Written evidence of the agreement with the contractor who will perform the labor.Verified against the official source
• Three (3) quotes certified by hardware stores from the ASG list.Verified against the official source

• The materials assistance application form, which the Department of Housing publishes for download on the program page itself.
• The program regulation, which the agency publishes for download and which establishes the Materials Assistance Program procedure.

1. 1

   Step 1: Download the regulation and the application first

   The Department of Housing publishes both on the program page: the regulation establishing the procedure, and the application form. The regulation is where the program’s detailed rules live, and it is worth reading before investing time in gathering fifteen documents.

2. 2

   Step 2: Get the materials estimate and the three quotes

   This is the part most people underestimate. It is not enough to say what was damaged: a materials estimate for the affected area is required, plus three quotes certified by hardware stores from the ASG list. These are stores from a specific list, not just any of them, so confirm with the agency which ones are on that list before going around collecting quotes that will not count.

3. 3

   Step 3: Put your agreement with the contractor in writing

   The agency asks for written evidence of the agreement with the contractor who will do the labor. It is an application requirement, not something resolved later: it means you must have found the contractor and reached an agreement before filing.

4. 4

   Step 4: Gather the certifications from the other agencies

   Four items on the list are certifications that come from outside the Department of Housing: PAN, Unemployment, ASUME and Social Security. Each is requested at its own agency and each takes its own time, so it is worth starting them early and in parallel rather than one after another.

5. 5

   Step 5: Document the whole household, not just yourself

   The application looks at everyone living in the house: proof of income for every person over 18 who resides there, a copy of the Social Security card for everyone residing in the house — with no age limit on that item — and a copy of photo ID for everyone over 18. Count how many people live with you and multiply.

6. 6

   Step 6: File and keep a copy of everything

   Submit the complete application with all fifteen items. Keep a copy of everything you handed in, above all the estimate, the quotes and the contractor agreement, because those are the documents that are hardest to reconstruct if they have to be presented again.

With the Department of Housing. The agency publishes the regulation, the requirements and the application form on the Materials Assistance Program page, and maintains a directory of regional offices for in-person business. The general phone is (787) 274-2527, the fax (787) 758-9263, and the contact emails it publishes are cliente@vivienda.pr.gov and info@vivienda.pr.gov.

• Getting three quotes at any hardware store, when they must be stores from the ASG list and the quotes must be certified.
• Filing without having closed a written agreement with the contractor who will do the labor, which is one of the fifteen requirements.
• Presenting only your own documents and not those of the other people over 18 living in the house.
• Starting the PAN, Unemployment, ASUME and Social Security certifications one after another rather than in parallel.
• Assuming the program covers labor: the structure of the requirements points to materials, with the contractor on you.
• Attempting the process as a tenant, when a deed or evidence that you own the property is required.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de la Vivienda

  Vivienda

  www.vivienda.pr.gov

• Department of Housing — homepage and services

  Vivienda

  www.vivienda.pr.gov