Thousands Of Puerto Ricans Coming To New England May Have Trouble Finding Housing
Amarilys De Leon, at right, and her daughter, Mayrangelique Rojas De Leon, in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Photo by Jill Kaufman for NEPR
Among the thousands of people who left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit last year, many have come to New England. And for a variety of reasons, they won’t return to the island.
For several months, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has put some families up in hotels. But that federal assistance is ending soon, and a house hunt is on.
Holyoke, Massachusetts, is one desirable location to live. It’s a city densely populated with Puerto Ricans who left the island decades ago, and many of them say — cold weather aside — it feels like home.