In an interview, Loíza Mayor Julia M. Nazario Fuentes said crime has dropped in her municipality and residents have come together to help one another. She identified the town's main problem as twofold: 92% of Loíza is flood-prone, and it ranks as the fourth municipality most affected by coastal erosion, making construction permits—and thus economic development—nearly impossible to secure.
She said Loíza hasn't had major flooding in years, relying instead on limited resources and "homemade remedies," such as installing suction pumps in homes that residents activate during rain, and building small drainage basins (pocetos) in flood-prone areas. She noted the government has not prioritized large-scale mitigation projects for Loíza, though FEMA-funded projects are underway in the Vizcarrondo and Villa Santos communities. For this year, she highlighted four projects funded through the Housing Department's urban-core revitalization funds: full reconstruction of the main street ("El Boulevard") connecting to the bridge to Piñones; paving and sidewalk repairs on Espíritu Santo and San Patricio streets and their side streets; and two passive parks, including Parque Maturí and another park planned to host food trucks for economic development.
All four projects are currently in the construction-bidding stage.