Calakmul Rural Housing Programme

The Calakmul Rural Housing Programme, launched in 2004 by Échale a tu Casa, supports low-income families in rural Mexico to build or improve their homes. It focuses on self-build housing, combining training, financial support, and community collaboration.
Calakmul is in a remote forest area where families face deep poverty and limited access to credit. Most people build homes slowly over many years, often without proper tools or skills. This leads to poor-quality housing and unsafe living conditions.
Échale trains families to use a building method called Adoblock, made mostly from local soil. Homes are built by the residents themselves, with support from Échale and their neighbours. Families earn wages for their labour, and costs are kept low. A group of at least 30 families must work together, producing materials and laying foundations as a team. This reduces building time from 10–15 years to just two months.
To help families afford construction, Échale created a Social Fund. Families save money, combine it with government support, and get affordable loans. Échale’s model also includes financial literacy training and local leadership through a social franchise system—where trained community members help run and expand the programme.
Since starting, the project has supported over 2,600 families, created 500 jobs, and helped protect the environment by reducing deforestation. Houses include eco-friendly features like rainwater collection, solar water heaters, and fuel-saving stoves.
Échale operates as a for-profit company to ensure long-term impact. Its model is now being scaled across Mexico and piloted in other countries, offering a way for poor families to build better homes, stronger communities, and brighter futures.