Los Suenos: The Dreams is our flagship project on Roatán. It is about more than just building homes and offering safe, affordable homeownership opportunities on the island. It’s also about building a community for everyone on the island to share. We’re here to answer all of the most frequently asked questions about our Los Sueños project in Flower’s Bay.
- Where did the idea of Los Sueños come from? An island pastor came to one of our Founders, David Dachner, and shared a pain point experienced by his congregation: huge numbers of hardworking families pay extraordinary amounts in rent for poor quality homes that they will never own. Along the same lines, he shared that there are generations of people who rent because their parents sold off family property, spent the money, and now don’t have a chance to own a piece of their own island. He identified this as a problem needing a solution, and from there, the dream of Los Sueños was born.
- Why is the development called Los Sueños? The original architect, who did the drawings of the homes, proposed this name and presented it to the ALF team. Everyone loved it, as it connected to a goal of helping dreams of homeownership become a reality for families on the island. In early 2019, we decided to informally adopt a bilingual name for the property: “Los Sueños: The Dreams” to honor the English heritage on the island.
- Who is Los Sueños meant for? We believe everyone is worthy of dignified housing, but this project is specifically intended for long-time islanders in the working-class, committed to home-owning and building relationships with those around them. It is meant to benefit not one but many different family structures: traditional nuclear families, single parent families, childless families, multigenerational families and more.
- Is there a requirement to go to the school or church in Los Sueños? No, there is no expectation or requirement for residents to attend a particular school or church. We respect a family’s choice to attend other schools, public or private, and other churches, as well as the decision not to attend church.
What is the goal of this project? To put it simply, our mission for Los Sueños: The Dreams is to provide community to build and empower relationships in Roatán, Honduras.
As the community grows, we’re measuring our impact through the project as it relates to individual and community safety, education, financial security, and social relationships.
When we say we “provide community”, we’re describing the physical spaces and activities that make up the master-planned development of Los Sueños. In those spaces, people on the island can connect, building and strengthening quality relationships. The community that emerges from those relationships will empower people on the island and give them a feeling of trust, safety, dignity, respect, opportunity, peace, engagement, and power.
- Can you tell us more about the actual homes at Los Sueños? With help from our generous partners including the Salvador Foundation, Arquitectos Asociados, Grupo SUR, and the Grand Roatan, the homes in Los Sueños are made of high quality, durable, and sustainable materials throughout. The residents of Los Sueños are all homeowners, meaning they are responsible for maintaining proper upkeep to their own homes. Of the 80 intended homes in the community, we have 12 completed and in May 2019 started building the next phase of 13 homes. We’d love to take you on a tour!
- Are the community areas like the park and basketball court just for people who live at Los Sueños? No, these areas are not just for homeowners – they are for everyone! The amenities at Los Sueños will include a library, basketball court, park, cultural center, and more and are open to the public. We envision these as areas for the entire island community to enjoy and a place where lasting relationships can be formed. The basketball court is already open to the public, kept safe under nighttime patrol. We love seeing many people enjoy it as a place to gather. Come by for a visit!
If you have questions or are interested in our free homeownership classes open to the public, reach out to us: roataninfo@abundantlifefoundation.org.
To get more information about the 10 Steps to Homeownership at Los Sueños or sign up for a free homeownership meeting to learn how to become a homeowner, visit here.
Other questions you would like to share? Leave them in the comments!