The bamboo housing project supported by Funbambu and IDA (Instituto de Desarollo Agrigcola or Agricultural Institute of Development), is located just outside the center of San Isidro. These two organizations have developed a community based, subsidized housing project in which economically disadvantaged Costa Rican families are able to buy land at a cheap price and help to build their own bamboo houses. Disadvantaged families are chosen according to economic status and need. Many of the new home owners were living in make shift houses due to a hurricane in 1996 that wiped out many of the houses along the town’s river. After families are chosen, IDA supplies the land for each family for the low price of 10,000 colones ($40) for a lot of 300m2. Most families take part in the construction of their houses by clearing the land, digging the whole for the septic tank, and then painting the interior and exterior of the house. While the families do pay a small fee for the land, the cost of the house is taken care of by the government.

Each house costs the government around four thousand dollars to build, which is still about a third less than other building materials, and better equipped to withstand harsh weather conditions.

Families often help to built their own houses in San Isidro. The phto above shows the bambu structure, and the photo below shows the finished product.

Families build a feeling of community by helping each other to build each other’s houses which also increases production, and reduces costs. To date, there are around three hundred and forty houses already built, one hundred and twenty more in the process of being built, and four hundred requests from needy families. There is a school in the process of being built and also plans for a new post office, church, park, and a soccer field. The national water and electricity company are also contributing to this project. What was once just a few houses built in bamboo, is turning into a real community!

Future goals of Funbambu and IDA are to involve the local farmers to convert to planting bamboo (another thousand hectares) around the "Rio General". The farmer would contribute with his/her land and Funbambu would provide the primary materials to start the small plantation. After harvesting, the farmer would then sell the culms back to Funbambu which would be used for further houses. The long term goal of Funbambu is to have 2500 hectares which would provide 20,000 houses for needy Costa Rican families.