News
Coming home: repairing houses after the DANA floods
May 13, 2025
Six months have passed since the DANA floods, but in many houses in Valencia the storm is still there. Damp houses, ceilings still dripping, furniture that was lost, families who cannot go home. At Fundación Felisa we are still working so that everyone affected can get back not only their home but their sense of safety and wellbeing.
One of our most important lines of work is restoring liveable conditions, with particular attention to people in vulnerable situations. We coordinate the technical and the human side to speed the repairs up, tailoring the support case by case. And we do it as a network, alongside public bodies, businesses and non-profits.
Drying out the affected spaces: we are working on more than 160 homes and 25 garages, where specialist equipment is already in place to remove the damp and prevent worse damage.
Repairing homes: we have started a pilot on 3 homes covering materials such as paint, basic fittings and small repairs. The aim is to reach another 10 to 20 homes over the coming months.
Furniture and appliances: more than €60,000 has already gone to helping families who lost everything.
All of it thanks to people who decided to put their time, their energy and their heart at the service of others.
From our logistics center we are still sending food, hygiene and cleaning products and furniture to the families who need them most. Requests are made through the website and, within three working days at most, orders are ready for collection. This logistics operation has been possible thanks to companies, institutions and social organizations donating in kind.
None of this collective effort would be possible without a great many volunteers. But the network does not stop there. Alongside them, many organizations have contributed resources, materials and know-how so that help reaches where it should. Zubi Cities, the Ajuntament de València, Fundación José Manuel Calderón, BME Spain, Leroy Merlin, Molins, Fisiar, Proyecto Blanca, Save the Children, Pelipal… and many others who have contributed resources, ideas and will to make possible what looked impossible.
New doors, mortar for repairs, drying units, bathroom fittings. From technical help to emotional support, and from big brands to local initiatives, every contribution has mattered. Thanks to everyone, this response has been as powerful as it has been human.
We are exploring new models of solidarity funding that would let us increase the number of homes repaired and top up public support with micro-donations, seed capital and technical volunteering.
All of this is part of the DANA Relief and Recovery Fund, a flexible mechanism that multiplies what every euro received can do. For every euro contributed, we mobilize five times as much in outside resources and funding.
This is not only about having a roof again. It is about getting dignity back, about rebuilding to standards of safety, sustainability and community. That is why Fundación Felisa also runs projects to strengthen the local economy, such as access to interest-free microcredit, getting small shops going again, and developing guidance tools like our chatbot in development, Felisa Contigo.
We are convinced that a safe home is the basis for being able to start again. And although there is still a lot to do, we are not on our own.
Coming home should not be a privilege. At Fundación Felisa we work so that it is a guaranteed right. If you would like to help with this project, you can make a donation, contribute furniture or join as a volunteer.