A housing nonprofit is building hope in rural areas, an arroyo mural project is coming together, the municipal government is offering free summer camps for kids and the 2027 writers’ conference program will soon be announced. Read on for a sample of the many community activities happening in and around San Miguel de Allende this month.

Casita Linda is building its 173rd rural home

A San Miguel nonprofit that builds homes in poor areas outside the city is now working on its 173rd project, said Louise Gilliam, president of Casita Linda. It’s in Alonso Yáñez, a small town about 30 miles southwest of San Miguel.

The homes all have three bedrooms so parents, boys and girls have their own rooms, she said, adding that they’re built by construction teams using sustainable materials, including specially designed concrete blocks that fit together like Legos.

“People call us a small Habitat for Humanity, but we don’t use wood,” Gilliam said.

Casita Linda was founded in 2001 to respond to the “really terrible conditions” people were living in outside of the city following a bad winter with lots of rain, she recalled.

“The houses that they live in are made from stuff they found, like sheet metal. They sleep on dirt floors,” Gilliam said.

How families qualify for homes

Rural families must meet several criteria to have a house built for them, she noted. These include having a maximum income of about US $600 per month, a deed to the property and children in school.

“The family has to contribute 100 hours, whether it’s the family themselves, their neighbors, whatever,” Gilliam added. “They have to be in the game.”

She said it’s amazing to see what happens to these families when they have a home with a door that locks and screens on the windows so bugs don’t come in and make the kids sick.

“When they have a house, there’s hope,” Gilliam said. “We’re trying to put an end to generational poverty. And the houses we build are so sustainable we’re hoping the children inherit the house.”

Casita Linda houses take about six weeks to build and cost about US $25,000 each. Gilliam said the organization doesn’t build without the funds in hand. The organization holds one annual fundraiser, which this year will have a Studio 54 theme and is scheduled for Oct. 6 at Agua Bendita in Atotonilco. More information can be found here.

Mural project next to the arroyo has begun

Painting began July 11 on a dozen large-scale murals along 90 meters of the Las Cachinches Arroyo just west of Calzada de la Aurora and across from Fábrica La Aurora.

The project, coordinated by Audubon de México, is transforming the previously neglected area into an open-air gallery celebrating the arroyo’s history, ecology and enduring presence.

The project was delayed for about a month due to a municipal permitting issue, but that has now been resolved, according to April Gaydos, president of Audubon de México. She said 18 talented local artists are contributing their work to the mural project and that the inauguration date will be coming soon.

More details on the Las Cachinches Arroyo mural project are available on the website.

Free local summer camps being offered this summer

San Miguel’s municipal government is sponsoring free summer camps starting this month and running through mid-August for children ages 5 to 12. These camps offer physical fitness and competitive sports, art, music and cooking workshops.

Depending on the activity, the venue will either be the CEDECOM facility near the Luciernaga mall or the Bosque Deportivo sports park fields and courts east of the city. The latter will offer soccer, basketball, taekwondo, handball and tennis, while the former will present the creative and recreational workshops.

Writers’ conference to announce its 2027 program

The San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival plans to announce the program and keynote speakers for the 2027 event on Aug. 1. Scheduled for Feb. 10-14, 2027, at the Hotel Real de Minas, the next writers’ conference will be the 22nd annual and could beat the record 1,750 participants from 15 countries who attended the conference this year.

Along with the Aug. 1 announcement will be an opportunity to sign up for dozens of workshops and sessions with writers, agents and publishers to be offered at the upcoming conference. There will be early discounts on registration packages and individual keynote tickets for those who sign up in August. See the website for more information.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel de Allende and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.