Affordable Housing

Communities for Life has been involved in extensive research and planning in the area of developing affordable housing, and has engaged with the Ministry of Housing in Peru as well as CMHC and made important determinations on how to proceed with earthquake-resistant, lightweight, affordable housing and what needs to be done to meet building code requirements. With the research work completed, Communities for Life is now positioned to begin the next stage of development. 

To get started, the goal is to identify up to 10 families and help them build an affordable home on the minimum-risk property that does not have a title. A local team member has been authorized to find a designer to design a basic wood home. The plan is to prefabricate the home on Communities for Life Controlled property and to use the opportunity to begin training tradespeople. It is anticipated that Communities for Life would coordinate with Canadian church teams in executing this plan. 

As of May 2022, we have started a trades program, including four main construction trades needed to build a 500 sq. ft. home. The four trades taught are electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and steel studs/drywall. This training is the first step towards a self-sustainable housing solution for people living in abject poverty in Manchay. These students will receive real-world experience, creating opportunities through employable skills and resources to create their own homes. Students can then achieve ownership through the repayment of the seed money from our generous donors to ensure a sustainable lifestyle and widespread impact.

Together, we can give a struggling community the power to flourish.