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HABITAT: BUILDING
THE GLOBAL VILLAGE
website: www.habitat.org/how/tour/1.html?r=quote
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intro: the need for decent, affordable housing around the world is staggering. An estimated 25% of the world's population, some 1.5 billion people, live in substandard housing or have no home at all. Families are trapped in a daily struggle to survive amid horrible, often inhuman, living conditions.
what: Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing organisation. Dedicated to the ideal that all people deserve a simple, decent place to live on terms they can afford to pay, Habitat builds houses all around the world. Since 1976, the organisation has built more than 50,000 houses throughout the United States and another 130,000 houses in communities around the world. Individuals, corporations, and other organisations donate funds, building materials, and labour.
how: families in need of decent shelter apply to their local Habitat affiliate. These have the job of selecting partner families and coordinating house building. Once ready, the houses are purchased by the homeowner families. Houses are made affordable to low-income people thanks to the following:- they are sold at no profit, with no interest charged on the mortgage (the cost of houses varies from as little as US$800 in some developing countries to an average of US$46,600 in the United States);
- home-owners and volunteers build the houses under trained supervision;
- individuals, corporations, religious groups and others provide financial support.
where: Habitat is a worldwide, grass-roots movement. There are more than 2,100 active affiliates in 100 countries, including all 50 states of the United States.
Africa & Middle East: Habitat for Humanity’s goal is to eliminate poverty housing from the face of the earth. The greatest impact need for housing is the slums in the hundreds of cities in Africa and the world. By 2025 it is estimated that a third to almost half of the poor in Africa and Asia will live in cities and towns. An estimated 600 million people currently live in life and health-threatening homes and neighbourhoods. City governments in developing countries are overwhelmed by the crisis. They often lack the finances, capacity and/or political will to provide the engineering and social infrastructure necessary for sustainable urban living environments. Consequently, informal settlements (slums) have mushroomed across the African continent.
Given these ever-increasing realities, Habitat for Humanity is embarking upon a new campaign to address the housing challenges faced by cities that are dealing with rapid rates of urbanisation in Africa and the Middle East: - The 2002 Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) was the largest event in the Project's 18-year history. It involved the building of 1,000 new homes in 18 countries across the African continent. Volunteers began building the homes in communities throughout Africa early in the year, and the project culminated June 3-7 with a 100-house blitz hosted by the city of Durban, on South Africa's east coast.
- Following on the success of the Intentional Community Model piloted in Durban for the JCWP 2003, the Urban Initiatives Department proposes to replicate the project in seven cities across Africa and the Middle East: Lusaka, Zambia; Cairo, Egypt; Nairobi, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda; Blantyre, Malawi; Johannesburg, South Africa; Durban, South Africa (pilot project).
sustainability: Habitat's Environmental Initiative provides ‘green building’ education and training to volunteers working with local Habitat affiliates. A special network of volunteers, known as the Green Team, leads the initiative in promoting energy-efficient, environmentally friendly construction practices.
Three principles guide Green Team building projects: 1) energy efficiency, including wise use of construction materials; 2) sustainability; and 3) maintenance of good indoor air quality. The team encourages builders and designers to construct homes with minimal impact on the environment. Team members also urge affiliates to incorporate a concise plan for reclaiming and recycling leftover materials, minimizing the use of natural resources and reducing the impact on the land. Beyond the physical structure, they also address human health issues, striving to create buildings that are free of toxic materials and that can be heated and cooled with the least amount of energy.
Some Habitat affiliates have begun to take their homes to even greener heights by incorporating more environmentally responsible building materials:- HFH of Metro Denver, for example, paints some homes' interiors with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints. VOCs are solvents in paint that outgas (evaporate) as the paint dries, and can irritate the eyes and cause sore throats and coughing. Some VOCs are carcinogenic.
- Many homes' floors are covered with carpet made from recycled plastic soda bottles. Recycled wood and plastic lumber are used to build decks. Water conservation measures include installing low-flow showerheads and faucets. Waste from the building site, including wood and cardboard, is recycled.
- Today, more than 50 Habitat affiliates in the United States and Canada have begun selling donated building materials. The items are donated by contractors who ended up with excesses on building sites, by demolition crews who set aside usable materials or by the general public. Cleverly called ReStores, Habitat's retail outlets not only help recycle leftover materials, reduce trash in landfills and cut back on resource extraction, but they also help support Habitat for Humanity's work. According to the international headquarters, Habitat's most successful ReStores generate enough revenue to build 10 or more houses per year!
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contacts
Partner Service CenterHabitat for Humanity International121 Habitat St.Americus, GA 31709-3498 (USA)ph (229) 924-6935, ext. 2551 or 2552publicinfo@hfhi.org
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