World Habitat Day

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No, this isn't one of my usual posts, and some of you might be wondering if my blog was hijacked by some "liberal" or if I was knocked in the head while I slept last night. Nope! It's me, in all of my hypocritical (to some of you) glory.

I have a soft spot for Habitat for Humanity, because they do things the way that I think makes sense. They don't give handouts, but rather they help people help themselves. When I was contacted by Habitat for Humanity to request I publicize this event (and no, I did not receive any financial compensation for doing so) I was more than happy to help out.

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October to be World Habitat Day - a day to stand up and let it be known that affordable, adequate housing should be a priority everywhere.

According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security.






Many of us are familiar with the images of places like Nairobi, Kenya (©Habitat for Humanity/Steffan Hacker). With an estimated population of more than one million people, Kibera is the largest slum in all of Africa.









Although affordable, adequate housing is a world issue, many of us are not as familiar with the significance of the problem in our own back yard.

U.S. Housing Facts

• About 95 million people, one third of the nation, have housing problems including a high-cost burden, overcrowding, poor quality shelter and homelessness. (National Low Income Housing Coalition: 2004)

• One in three American households spend more than 30 percent of income on housing, and one in seven spends more than 50 percent. (Joint Center for Housing Studies: 2006)

• The number of low-income families that lack safe and affordable housing is related to the number of children that suffer from asthma, viral infections, anemia, stunted growth and other health problems. About 21,000 children have stunted growth attributable to the lack of stable housing; 10,000 children between the ages of 4 and 9 are hospitalized for asthma attacks each year because of cockroach infestation at home; and more than 180 children die each year in house fires attributable to faulty electrical heating and electrical equipment. (Sandel, et al: 1999)

If you've been reading me for some time, you know that in my early 20's I spent about a week "homeless" - living in a small pick-up truck with two other people. We had the security of a rest stop, but sleeping in a vehicle, in November, in Wisconsin gave me a new appreciation for four walls and a roof.

I find myself in a similar situation now. As I look for affordable (I define affordable as 30% of my net income - $800/month in my case) housing in my community (very rural area, but attempting to keep Cam in the same school) I am having a difficult time finding anything for under $1000/month. There are very few apartment units here - maybe 30 at the most - and foreclosures have taken many of the small, single family units off the market.

I am extremely fortunate. I am not in a position where I must take whatever is available at whatever cost, but after 60 days of looking for somewhere that meets my minimum criteria (2 bedrooms, priced within my budget, located within the middle school attendance boundaries) it's looking like I may have to reconsider my minimum criteria, moving into either a one bedroom unit (I'll sleep in the living room) or moving to a different school attendance area. I cannot even begin to imagine being in a position where I couldn't find any housing for my family, yet I'm certain there are people in my own community who are facing that.

What can you do for World Habitat Day?

ADVOCATE: It is time to deliver a strong message to Congress: Make housing a priority. Pass legislation that would prioritize adequate and affordable housing. Ask Congress to Make Housing A Priority on World Habitat Day!

EDUCATE: Read Habitat for Humanity’s World Habitat Day handbook to learn more about the importance of secure tenure and neighborhood revitalization. Get even more information about the issue of insecure tenure by reading Habitat’s Shelter Report: building a secure future through effective land policies.

DONATE: Be a part of making the world a better place and support Habitat’s efforts. You can donate your time to a Habitat for Humanity Project, or donate your time or usable materials to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore location. If you are so inclined, you may also make a financial contribution online today.

Choose to make a difference!!

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and ReStore

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I know most people are familiar with Habitat for Humanity, but how many of you are familiar with the Habitat for Humanity ReStores?

I had driven by the ReStore in our area several times. I assumed it was some type of warehouse for Habitat for Humanity projects and really thought nothing of it. Yesterday, I learned a little more.

I became aware of Habitat for Humanity when it became "newsworthy" as a passion for Jimmy Carter in 1984. I knew that the organization built homes for families in need and that the owner/partners had to put in some sweat equity. And that is about all I knew.

Today I learned that Habitat for Humanity was actually started 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller and that the concept that grew into Habitat for Humanity International was born at Koinonia Farm (a small, interracial, Christian farming community founded in 1942 outside of Americus, Ga., by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan). At Koinonia, Jordan and Fuller developed the concept of "partnership housing," where those in need of adequate shelter would work side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses.

Habitat houses are built with no profit added and no interest charged. Building is financed by a revolving Fund for Humanity. The fund's money comes from the new homeowners' house payments, donations and no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fund-raising activities. The monies in the Fund for Humanity are used to build more houses.

So why all of this information on Habitat for Humanity? Well, when Cam and I showed up at church to volunteer for the food bank project, we learned that it wasn't an option this week. There are usually about 200 people that show up to serve, so there are always 7-10 different opportunities, however many of the family friendly options are environments that require interaction with elderly or mentally handicapped - not something Cam is willing to do at this point - but there was one that involved work in our local Habitat ReStore. Cam and I decided that was a good fit.

In addition to sorting and stocking several hundred drawer/cabinet knobs and pulls and moving/loading larger items people had purchased (the projects Cam and I worked on), I also discovered a wonderful community resource.

From the ReStore website:

ReStore is a building materials reuse center benefiting Habitat for Humanity. ReStore accepts donated new and gently used goods from retailers, manufacturers, distributors, contractors and homeowners. Building supplies are then sold, at greatly reduced prices, to the general public. The store's operation generates funds to support Habitat’s house building program, while reducing the amount of material that would otherwise go to overflowing landfills.

At ReStore, we’re keeping stuff out of landfills, raising money to build homes, and making low-cost materials available to those who otherwise may not be able to afford them.

Unfortunately, many of us live in homes that don't realize there is an economic downturn right now - repairs are a very real part of home ownership. The Habitat ReStores offer new and reusable building supplies at about 60% of retail. Not only are you able to save money, but the money you spend goes directly to the continued works of Habitat for Humanity and keeps reusable supplies out of the landfills.

Clicking [HERE] will take you to a listing of Habitat ReStores. Click on your state to see if this is a resource available in your community!

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