I recently visited Puerto Rico along with NeighborWorks America Regional Vice President Joan Straussman to assess the damage that still exists months after Hurricane Maria hit, learn firsthand the progress being made by our three network members on the ground and chart a path forward to continue to help the island's residents recover. Here is my report.

How do you design a public space for everyone—a space that is not only welcoming and inclusive but fosters a sense of community and well-being?

Kenneth Balfelt says you need to be strategically unprepared.  That is, you should start with only half a plan for what your space will look like, because the other half must come from the users of that space—whether they’re young or old, working parents or retirees, or people who are homeless.

Samuel Sanders, Executive Director of Mid City Redevelopment Alliance (MCRA) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is among the NeighborWorks network’s “veteran” disaster responders. In fact, NeighborWorks Western Region partnered with the Houston LISC office to host a convening so others could learn from his hard-earned wisdom. Below is a Q-and-A with Sanders.
.
Tell us about your organization’s past experience with natural disasters. How much damage did they cause to the areas you serve?

I recently spent a week working on Hurricane Harvey clean-up efforts with NeighborWorks network member Avenue and Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corp. in Houston.