Puerto Rico’s Family Department pays $108,000 a month to rent space in Santa Rosa Mall in Bayamón for its regional offices, which are still being outfitted. The lease was signed in January 2025 and amounts to about $1.3 million per 12 months of rent, with a cap of $6 million under the agreement. The agency has paid more than $2 million since 2025 for the unused space.
In written statements, the Family Department said preparation work continues and the opening is planned for November. It described the move as part of an initiative to modernize its facilities and offer better conditions to employees and the citizens it serves. "These facilities will have ample space, parking, air conditioning and areas specially equipped for serving citizens," the department said.
It added that the new offices will include spaces for minors who, for various reasons, must stay temporarily under the care and supervision of social workers. Responding to the rent being paid on a site not yet operating, the department said the space has required conditioning work to meet the agency’s operational and security needs.
It defended the project as part of its commitment to strengthen service quality and ensure dignified, safe and functional facilities. The statements do not specify how much has been paid in rent to date while the offices remain unopened, nor do they explain why the preparation work has run on since the contract was signed.