Frequently Asked Questions
What is Homes Without Boundaries?
Homes Without Boundaries (HWB) exits to facilitate the building of homes for the homeless by groups of students and adults committed to building their understanding of social economic needs and discovering new life by giving themselves away.
What is the house building project?
This is an opportunity to spend 4-7 days of your life building two-room houses for homeless families living in the rural hills above Tijuana, Mexico.
Where will we stay?
We will be staying at the HWB Annex, adjacent to Hogar de Los Ninos, an orphanage in the hills above Tijuana. The orphanage is about 20 minutes from the Mexican/American border in a region where the annual income is between $300 and $3,000. Hogar de Los Ninos is one of the few orphanages in Mexico that allows children to stay after their twelfth birthday. Currently there are about 70 children living in the orphanage. Our accommodations at the orphanage will be very much like camping out: sleeping bags on pads, porta-potties and bucket showers.
Who gets the houses?
Most of the houses are built for single moms or families who, up to this point, have never owned their own home. Often we are replacing shelters made from pallet crates, tarps, and scrounged materials. A new home, with screened windows, a cement foundation, and a locking door provides not only safe shelter, but also an economic foothold in their community.
How do you build a house in so little time?
It takes about 8-10 people to build one house in 3-5 days. We start off by leveling the site, lay a 12X24 ft. cement slab and then construct a two-room wood frame house on top of it. The building plans are straight forward, and there will be people on site with experience building these houses. Very little construction skill is required, you really only need to know how to use a hammer and read a tape measure. A good attitude and a willingness to try new things are the greatest assets you can bring to the team.
Is the water and food safe for us?
We recommend that all food is purchased at the Chula Vista or Tijuana Costco and stateside grocery stores. Bottled water is delivered to the neighborhood each morning. It is a great benefit to have a cook come with your team to coordinate the food prep. Breakfast is cooked up every morning, lunches consist of a hearty sack lunch, and dinner is always served up hot.
Why go?
The reasons to participate in this venture are many. For some it is doing something enduring with friends from work. For others, it is the possibility of making a tangible difference in the life of a homeless family or providing that stepping stone that allows a family to help themselves. Then, too, there is the opportunity to be in a different context to reflect on one’s life and how to be engaged in the larger picture of life. The reasons are as many as the people involved. Whatever your reason, you will find this to be a life giving experience and one of hope.