Benito Santiago in partnership with Legacy ICF Block has great plans and a vision to help neighbors in Puerto Rico rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Benito was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He’s well known for his long and very successful baseball career with the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and the Miami Marlins and now he’s dedicating his time to a more philanthropic endeavor…helping neighboring communities in Puerto Rico rebuild their home.
Hurricane Maria was the strongest hurricane to hit the island of Puerto Rico in over 80 years. Sadly, thousands of people lost their homes or suffered significate damage due to this storm. Puerto Rico has an official poverty rate of 44 percent and “informal” home construction has for generations been more the rule than the exception, in particular in small towns and rural areas outside San Juan.
Close to half the housing on the island was built without permits. And because many informally built communities originated in invasions of public or private land by squatters—often abetted by local politicians and grandfathered in—residents often have no titles to their lots, which means FEMA cannot pay for repairs, though it can help them move. Benito is dedicating his time and resources to establishing a partnership that will provide cost-effective housing for displaced residents.
As a native Puerto Rican, Benito knows Hurricanes are a fact of life in the Caribbean so in his vision to help rebuild, he knew he had to choose building materials that would be strong enough to withstand hurricane-force winds, yet easy and quick to construct and still be cost-effective for the island residents.
Legacy Block was the only logical choice given its material advantages. Legacy Block can withstand a category 5 hurricane, is insect resistant, mold resistant, will not ignite and has superior acoustical and insulating properties that help lower electrical costs – all features necessary for a tropical climate. More importantly, a home constructed with Legacy Block can be erected in a fraction of the time that it takes to build a regular block or wood frame home thereby substantially reducing overall building costs — and, more importantly getting people back in their homes quicker!
Below is an aerial view of New Orleans taken after Hurricane Katrina. The only home left standing in this area was built with ICF panel. Legacy Block uses an improved CICF Block and will withstand the ravages of nature and time. This is exactly the type of structure residents of Puerto Rico need to rebuild!
