The next questions are how is it doable and by whom. Two priorities for colonia activists are housing and water.
Houses are often self-built, piece by piece when money allows.
One colonias group, Proyecto Azteca, estimates that three-quarters of these houses do not meet family needs. Lack of running water is another defining characteristic of a colonia. Residents must get water from relatives, buy it in the cities, or pump it from shallow, contaminated wells. Cesspools or septic tanks provide the only waste treatment, and they often flood or leak. Water-borne diseases, such as Hepatitis A, cholera, and skin rashes are epidemic.