PRoTechos’ mission has two parts: to rebuild damaged roofs in underserved communities in Puerto Rico, and to offer community members a paid construction training program. In 2017, Hurricane Maria damaged the roofs of tens of thousands of homes in Puerto Rico. Shortly after Maria, PRoTechos was founded to replace the temporary blue tarps with durable roofs and to train residents in the skills of roof repair and basic residential construction. By providing trainees with a paid opportunity to learn vocational skills while repairing the roofs of their community members, PRoTechos advances Puerto Ricans’ resilience to future hurricanes and climate disasters. PRoTechos improves housing conditions and provides residents with the opportunity to become skilled construction workers, ultimately stimulating recovering local economies and helping Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable community members to more easily weather the next storm.
PRoTechos is a team of five staff members based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since the organization was founded in late 2017, PRoTechos has grown in impact. By the end of 2018, PRoTechos had completed six roofs and trained ten people. By mid-2024, the organization completed 194 roofs and trained over 100 people across 22 municipalities. PRoTechos has built a network of local community leaders and organizations who identify residents with the most urgent need for roof repair. More specifically, the organization prioritizes helping residents who cannot afford roof repairs on their own as well as homes occupied by children, the elderly, or people with illnesses or disabilities. Roof repairs are made by a team of two to four carpenters and trainees. The trainee program is a stipend opportunity that lasts around three months to meet the 150 hour minimum training requirement. One roof at a time, PRoTechos is building resilience in Puerto Rico’s housing and its people.