¡Échale! a tu casa

¡Échale! a tu casa, is an assisted self-build program that provides sustainable community development through social housing production. For an affordable price, program participants can improve their home or build a quality home in just one month – a process that would otherwise take 10-15 years. In Mexico, 5.7 million families live in overcrowded houses made of unstable or dangerous materials. Some 25.8 million people, or almost a fifth of Mexico’s population, do not live in physically stable, safe homes and are in need of adequate housing.

¡Échale! a tu casa (put your heart into your home) is commissioned by the National Social Housing Production Program to help people build their own homes. Homes are made of Adoblock, an economic brick with high strength and excellent thermal and acoustic properties. This adobe brick serves as a natural insulation source thereby reducing reliance on heating and cooling devices. More than 90 percent of each Adoblock is made from local soil, which reduces waste and the use of environmentally harmful materials. Échale holds a patent for the terrapress equipment that is used to make the Adoblock.

In addition to the environmentally smart Adoblock, Échale homes include other eco-friendly technologies such as rainwater harvesting systems, biodigesters, ecological walls and blocks, solar heaters and the Patsari stove. Échale teaches homeowners and community members how to service the biodigesters, maintain the photovoltaics and sewage systems, repair any broken walls, and tend the gardens.

With over 25 years of experience in the housing market, Échale is committed to building communities and not just houses. To build strong communities, Échale implements a socially inclusive process and provides training, financial education, and social organization. Échale creates a housing committee, which are composed of families. The committee is empowered to develop the housing program, interact with other communities, NGOs, and the government, and replicate the social franchise. This leaves intangible capital within the community, ensuring that the community knows how to organize itself to address any issues they may encounter in the build process.

Échale has delivered over 26,000+ houses and 150,000+ home improvements. These experiences have allowed it to streamline and perfect the construction business model, impacting 130,000+ families and creating an economic spillover of USD $65 million.