A January 2012 Oxfam report said that a half a million Haitians remained homeless , still living under tarps and in tents . Watchdog groups have criticized the reconstruction process saying that part of the problem is that charities spent a considerable amount of money on " soaring rents , board members ' needs , overpriced supplies and imported personnel " . The Miami Herald report . " A lot of good work was done ; the money clearly didn 't all get squandered , " but , " A lot just wasn 't responding to needs on the ground . Millions was spent on ad campaigns telling people to wash their hands . Telling them to wash their hands when there 's no water or soap is a slap in the face . "