From left, Efrain Maldonado, HUD San Juan Field Office Director and Olga Saez, retiring Public Housing Director, with Antonio Morales, playwright & producer of "Por amor en el caserio" and Amos Morales

A Celebration of Talent and Entrepreneurial Spirit

Housing Week at the HUD San Juan office was very special this year. Thanks to the creativity and talent of the tenants living in HUD subsidized housing, participants were able to enjoy a choir, a play, a string concert and glance at the products of micro entrepreneurs. Housing week celebrates the positive, valuable and productive impact that HUD's programs have in the lives of thousands of families in Puerto Rico.

Almost each day of the week (held in October) had a special presentation. The chimes choir, Coro Campanas de Oro, is made mostly by the Residents of Casa Aibonito, one of several Multifamily Housing developments for seniors. The choir was created in 1997 and the 25 current participants enjoy the popularity of the group, which makes presentations around the island. The members work with a system of letters, numbers and colors that allows an easy participation and the interpretation of folk and popular music. Also, Taller de Música La Montaña is a group of about 20 musicians specialized in string instruments who come from different public housing projects in Aguadilla. They regaled the audience with a concert.

Residents from Casa Aibonito are members of the Campanas de Oro chimes choir

The micro entrepreneurs and artisans from La Fondita de Jesús showcased their chocolate covered strawberries, purses made out of natural fibers, candles, soaps, accessories made with seeds, and decorative objects made in clay and crystal. Another entrepreneurial development program from the Puerto Rico housing agency provides assistance to develop the necessary skills to achieve economic independence among public housing residents. The training includes preparing business plans and strategies to market their products, as well as licenses and permits required for their specific business.

For Love in the Township (Por amor en el caserío), was a very moving theatrical play by an incredible group of young people, residents of the Llorens Torres public housing project. They have been doing theater for more than 10 years. Overcoming all odds and prejudices, they have staged this extraordinary production in many venues across Puerto Rico. The 25 members of the troupe had the opportunity to go to Mexico for a musical theater workshop to keep improving their skills. The play portraits the crude reality of the youngsters exposed to drug and violence. With a touch of comedy and a lot of love shows the path to healthy relationships and a productive life.