Catherine Oliver Franco, director of the Mental Health and Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA), spoke on Tuesday on the En Récord program about homelessness in Puerto Rico, which now includes professionals and university students. In the latest count of people experiencing homelessness, there are 1,945 adults in total. Asked whether there has been a significant increase, Oliver Franco said there is a rise specifically in various municipalities, but that it is being addressed with faith-based and non-traditional organizations together with ASSMCA’s Multisectoral Council, which have helped mitigate the need for services.
She said the latest count showed Caguas at 11.6% and Ponce at 19.4%. Closer to those figures are Arroyo at 2% and Cabo Rojo at 2.1%. In the 2 to 3% range are Guayama, Isabela, Loíza, Manatí and Jayuya (2.8%), and Mayagüez is at 3.5%.
She said the percentages are fairly distributed across geographic areas, but that Ponce and Caguas maintain a fairly high level of homeless people. Oliver Franco also explained reasons that lead 204 university students and young professionals to be without housing.