HSOAC presents a summary of hurricane damage to public buildings in Puerto Rico and 12 courses of action to repair damage and modernize public building infrastructure for increased resilience, improved energy efficiency, and improved user experience.

The authors detail the status of Puerto Rico's communities leading up to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the storms' impact on them, and 15 courses of action to improve their capacity for emergency preparedness, communication, and recovery planning.

In Puerto Rico's post-hurricane reconstruction, municipal governments face significant responsibility. The authors recommend ways to target government and other resources where they are needed most to help municipal reconstruction efforts.

Fearless necessary reporting . . . Klein exposes the ‘battle of utopias’ that is currently unfolding in storm-ravaged Puerto Rico” (Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao) “We are in a fight for our lives. Hurricanes Irma and María unmasked the colonialism we face in Puerto Rico, and the inequality it fosters, creating a fierce humanitarian crisis. Now we must find a path forward to equality and sustainability, a path driven by communities, not investors. And this book explains, with careful and unbiased reporting, only the efforts of our community activists can answer the paramount question: What type of society do we want to become and who is Puerto Rico for?” —Carmen Yulín Cruz, Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico In the rubble of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans and ultrarich “Puertopians” are locked in a pitched struggle over how to remake the island. In this vital and startling investigation, bestselling author and activist Naomi Klein uncovers how the forces of shock politics and disaster capitalism seek to undermine the nation’s radical, resilient vision for a “just recovery.” All royalties from the sale of this book in English and Spanish go directly to JunteGente, a gathering of Puerto Rican organizations resisting disaster capitalism and advancing a fair and healthy recovery for their island. “Klein chronicles the extraordinary grassroots resistance by the Puerto Rican people against neoliberal privatization and Wall Street greed in the aftermath of the island’s financial meltdown, of hurricane devastation, and of Washington’s imposition of an outside control board over the most important U.S. colony.” —Juan González, cohost of Democracy Now! and author of Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America

In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, both category 5 hurricanes, swept across the Caribbean, including the U.S. Territory island of Puerto Rico. These two storms, particularly Hurricane Maria, caused catastrophic damages from high winds and flooding to the island paradise. This research investigates the direct effects that Hurricane Maria had on the residential construction industry within Puerto Rico and evaluates how to better prioritize and manage these types of efforts in the future. This research was initiated to identify challenges and opportunities that have been encountered within the Puerto Rican construction industry during the first year of reconstruction, post-Hurricane Maria. Residential structures that were built using current building codes experienced minimal storm damage. Many of the damaged residential structures, on the other hand, were made up of informal construction, predominantly using light wood framing methods. Unfortunately, homes built using informal construction practices were not insured nor eligible for government rebuilding assistance. Therefore, these damaged structures will more than likely be rebuilt using informal building practices again. Other immediate challenges faced by the construction industry included finding skilled labor and creating access to resources. The results of this research can be used to help prioritize reconstruction efforts and provide best practices following other similar disasters that will inevitably occur in the future. This research is unique in that it specifically targets the construction industry's experience and ultimately the ability to increase the effectiveness of the critical role the construction industry plays in rebuilding efforts.

Puerto Rico's housing sector needs a big fix. Through a careful analysis of housing damage caused by the 2017 hurricanes, the authors make informed recovery recommendations for policymakers so they can repair and rebuild safe and affordable housing.