PRess releases

Capitol – Responding to an investigation by the House of Representatives' Committee on Municipal Affairs, chaired by Representative Luis Jr. Pérez Ortiz, the Undersecretary of the Department of Housing, Attorney Omar Figueroa Vázquez, participated on behalf of Secretary Ciary Pérez Peña, supporting the proposed amendments to Law 107, known as the Municipal Code of Puerto Rico, to clarify that the Department's real estate cannot be declared a public nuisance or expropriated by municipalities.

At the hearing, which also included representatives from the Mayors Association and attorneys from the Department of Justice, the undersecretary stated on behalf of the secretary, “We support House Bill 996 to clarify the matter, as it is consistent with the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico, which states that public assets under its administration must be safeguarded. Among other things, the properties administered by our agency were acquired with state or federal funds, and any breaches we may commit could compromise the jurisdiction's eligibility to receive funds in the future or expose the Government to penalties for claims or non-compliance with regulations or laws of one or both jurisdictions, state or federal.”