Latest / 787daily — Puerto Rico Every Morning / Evictions, Water Billions, and the Gas Bill Fight

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Evictions, Water Billions, and the Gas Bill Fight · 787daily — Puerto Rico Every Morning

• 0:00
  Welcome to "The Week in Puerto Rico," from 787daily.
• 0:03
  I'm Marisol.
• 0:04
  And I'm Diego.
• 0:04
  This is our look back at the week ending October 10, and it was a heavy one on housing, power, and water.
• 0:11
  It was.
• 0:11
  Let's start with the one that hits closest to home for a lot of families.
• 0:16
  Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico says more than 2000 families have faced eviction proceedings in Puerto Rico so far in 2026.
• 0:22
  2000 families.
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  That's not a statistic to rush past.
• 0:25
  Each one of those is a household wondering where they'll sleep.
• 0:28
  Exactly.
• 0:29
  And the legal aid director is urging measures to curb evictions.
• 0:32
  The call is for action, not just awareness.
• 0:34
  And the number is only for this year so far, right?
• 0:37
  So the count can still grow before December.
• 0:40
  Right, the takeaway frames it as proceedings faced in 2026, so we're not at the end of the story.
• 0:45
  We'll keep an eye on whether any measures actually follow.
• 0:48
  Let's hope so.
• 0:49
  Okay, on to a story with a big number attached.
• 0:52
  $354.6 million for water infrastructure.
• 0:55
  Yes, an announcement of $354.6 million for 15 water infrastructure projects in Aguadilla and Moca.
• 1:01
  15 projects.
• 1:01
  That's a lot of pipes, pumps, and, I assume, a lot of hard hats.
• 1:05
  Ha, I'd imagine.
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  The details we have are the headline investment and the number of projects, and the two municipalities, Aguadilla and Moca.
• 1:12
  For people on the west side, that's a very welcome headline.
• 1:15
  Anyone who has lived through water service problems knows why this matters.
• 1:19
  Water is one of those things you only think about when it's gone.
• 1:23
  So true.
• 1:23
  Now, speaking of things people depend on, there's a story out of San Juan I really liked.
• 1:28
  The municipality has invested 1 million, 729,000, $935 in portable, solar-powered batteries for medical equipment.
• 1:34
  This is for people who rely on electric medical equipment at home, correct?
• 1:38
  Correct.
• 1:38
  The headline says San Juan committed $1.7 million for solar batteries for people reliant on electric medical equipment.
• 1:44
  That's the kind of thing that sounds small until you picture the person on the other end.
• 1:49
  If your equipment needs electricity to keep you well, a power cut isn't an inconvenience.
• 1:54
  It's a scare.
• 1:54
  Exactly.
• 1:55
  And a portable battery with solar charging means the backup can keep going when the grid doesn't.
• 2:00
  Which brings us neatly to the grid.
• 2:02
  Because the other two stories this week are both about energy, and they both involve a lot of money and a lot of finger-pointing.
• 2:09
  They do.
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  First, LUMA.
• 2:10
  The Government of Puerto Rico rejected LUMA Energy's 1.3 billion dollar calculation.
• 2:14
  1.3 billion.
• 2:15
  And the government's argument is what, exactly?
• 2:17
  The government says 70% of that amount is not related to the contract extension.
• 2:21
  The headline puts it as unrelated to a transition.
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  So 70% of the bill, in the government's view, isn't tied to what it's supposedly paying for.
• 2:29
  That's a pretty big gap between the two sides.
• 2:32
  It is.
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  And I should be careful here.
• 2:34
  What we know is the government rejected the estimate and gave that 70% reasoning.
• 2:39
  We don't have more detail on the rest of the numbers.
• 2:42
  Fair.
• 2:42
  It's a reminder that the headline figure and what's actually owed can be two very different things.
• 2:47
  Right.
• 2:47
  And then the last story is another money-and-energy one.
• 2:50
  The Public-Private Partnerships Authority, the P3 Authority, ordered the 3PPO to claim costs from New Fortress Energy.
• 2:55
  Over a gas halt, right?
• 2:56
  The headline says the halt is costing $1.25 million daily.
• 3:00
  That's what the headline says, $1.25 million a day.
• 3:04
  And the order is to claim those costs from New Fortress Energy.
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  Daily.
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  That's the part that jumps out at me.
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  A cost that ticks up every single day puts pressure on everybody to sort it out.
• 3:15
  Yes, and we don't have an outcome yet, just the order to go after those costs.
• 3:19
  So that's one to follow.
• 3:21
  Let me try to connect the dots, because this week had a pattern.
• 3:25
  We've got families facing eviction, a big investment in water, San Juan protecting people who depend on medical devices, and then two fights over who pays for what in the energy system.
• 3:34
  That's a good way to put it.
• 3:36
  Basic needs like housing, water, and power, and the question of who's covering the cost.
• 3:40
  And the quiet hero of the week is that battery program, honestly.
• 3:44
  Practical, specific, and aimed at people who can't afford a gap in service.
• 3:48
  I agree.
• 3:48
  And I think the eviction story is the one to sit with.
• 3:52
  Over 2000 families this year, and a legal aid director asking for measures to curb it.
• 3:57
  Yes.
• 3:57
  Behind every number is a family, and I hope the people with the power to act are listening.
• 4:02
  Well said.
• 4:03
  That's our week.
• 4:04
  For the full stories on everything we covered, head to 787daily.com.
• 4:08
  Thanks for spending part of your week with us.
• 4:11
  We'll be back with more from the island.
• 4:13
  Until next time, take care of each other.