Habitat for Humanity International



Habitat For Humanity International (HFHI) (generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat) is an international, ecumenical Christian, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit, with no interest charged on the mortgage. The organization was founded in 1976 in Americus, Georgia by Millard and Linda Fuller, whose vision grew out of their experiences at Koinonia Farm. The international headquarters located in Atlanta (moved from Americus GA in 2006) serves to support and promote the activities of local, independent affiliate chapters, which initiate and manage all construction, mortages, and homeowner selection.

In 1996, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded Fuller the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, calling Habitat for Humanity “…the most successful continuous community service project in the history of the United States.” By 2004 Habitat had built 50,000 houses in the U.S. and over 175,100 around the world, with Habitat groups working in over 100 countries. Although headquartered in the United States, two thirds of Habitat construction takes place in other countries. In 2005 Habitat built its 200,000th house, bringing the number of people sheltered in Habitat houses worldwide to one million.

On August 4, 2005, Habitat announced the selection of a new Chief Executive Officer for the organization, former president of stores of Musicland and executive pastor of the Edina, Minnesota Christ Presbyterian Church, Jonathan Reckford. 

Qualifications for Home Ownership
According to the official website,
 * "Homeowner families are chosen according to their need; their ability to repay the no-profit, no-interest mortgage; and their willingness to work in partnership with Habitat. Habitat for Humanity does not discriminate according to race, religion or ethnic group."

Independent, local affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International are allowed to interpret these guidelines as is deemed most appropriate for the location of the affiliate.

Homeowners are usually expected to put approximately 500 hours of "sweat equity" into their own or other project homes, although this amount may vary by location and by the number of wage-earning adults in each family (as well as health issues).

Mortgage payments from homeowners are deposited into a locally-administered "Fund for Humanity," the proceeds of which go toward future construction. Families partnering with Habitat who receive a home are required to allow the affiliate the right of first refusal, that should they decide to sell their home during the period of their mortage, the affiliate may buy it for no more than the original cost of construction, regardless of any improvements made since.

Building


Habitat builds simple houses with locally appropriate materials. This could mean concrete block homes in Third World nations or poured concrete-walled homes in hurricane-prone regions of the United States. Chapters of Habitat in more developed countries are strongly encouraged to donate a tithe of ten percent of the money they raise for local housing to the national group for the purpose of building Third World homes. For instance, Habitat New Zealand builds one house in Fiji for each house they build in New Zealand.

Habitat relies on volunteer labor in order to construct simple and affordable homes for its partner families, as well as to build community and civil society in the areas in which it works. Most volunteers are unskilled prior to first working with Habitat, although some professional or retired tradesmen or contractors may donate their services. Many churches and other houses of worship (synagogues, temples, mosques etc.) sponsor houses and provide a large amount of the volunteers from their congregations. Some corporations and businesses who value good corporate citizenship provide financial support to the projects and/or donate materials for use in construction. Many politicians and celebrities have volunteered with Habitat, reflecting its profile as a highly regarded non-profit.

Programs


In addition to ongoing local-level construction, the Habitat International headquarters administers a range of specially focused programs, which may occur once annually or on a continuously ongoing basis.

Operation Home Delivery
Habitat has initiated a special program to help restore housing to the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The effort is focused on getting the local affiliates in these areas back on their feet and prepared to build for their communities. It has also become a catalyst for other organizations, corporations and the government to provide help and support in rebuilding these areas, and has received considerable national media attention.

The program pre-builds housing components in nearby less-affected locations such as Jackson, Mississippi, allowing much of the construction to be accomplished while basic infrastructure is being restored. Pre-constructed components can then be shipped to the affected areas and built at a faster rate. Within two months of the time of the disaster, construction had begun on houses in the Louisiana cities of Covington and Slidell, near New Orleans.

Operation Home Delivery is Habitat for Humanity International's hurricane rebuilding program, Harry Connick Jr., and Branford Marsalis are honorary chairs, and one of the many projects along the Gulf Coast, is the Musicians' Village. New Orleans Habitat for Humanity

Collegiate Challenge
Habitat for Humanity runs a year-round alternative break program known as Collegiate Challenge for student groups age 16 and up. Although summer, fall, and winter break trips are available, most participants (primarily college students) go during their spring break. Collegiate Challenge volunteers travel to affiliates throughout the U.S. and participate in week-long building activities at their host's work sites. Over 12,000 volunteers took part in Collegiate Challenge in 2004, making it one of the world's largest alternative break programs: Since its inception in 1989, over 100,000 students have participated in Collegiate Challenge.

Global Village Trips
As suggested by the name, Habitat for Humanity International places a strong emphasis on building outside the United States. Its international character dates back even before its formal inception, as founder Millard Fuller received considerable inspiration while on a three-year trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) during which he and his family sought to apply Koinonia principles outside the limits of the small Georgia farm.

Volunteers today can build with Habitat affiliates throughout the world on Global Village Trips. After having gone through training, trip leaders organize travel plans with the support of the Americus-headquartered Global Village Department, first formally established in 1988. Participants from all over are then able to register for trips to their destination of choice. Teams generally number between eight and fifteen, with trips usually last between nine to fourteen days.

When people of different faiths and cultures come together to build a house, individuals learn from and find new respect for one another. Coming together for the common goal of building a house with a neighbor in need has proven to be a successful way for bringing healing to divided communities and creating a sense of cross cultural unity.

Making it Better in the Long Term with Solar
There are many projects that go hand in hand with the house building projects that allow these homes to supply their own electricity through the use of solar. US companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) have partnered with Habitat for Humanity to provide complete solar grids for a few homes. PG&E Solar Project. There are also other solar projects, mostly in the US, like this one in San Francisco San Francisco Solar, as well as normal citizens that are trying to make a difference by raising funds to get more of these solar homes built Solar Fund Raising Effort

Home Builders Blitz
A week-long event in June 2006, the Home Builders Blitz program aims to complete more than 500 homes across the United States June 5–9. It is particularly targeted at construction volunteers with professional experience.

Jimmy Carter Work Project
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter became involved with Habitat for Humanity in 1984 and has since become its most high-profile proponent. He has been involved in fund-raising and publicity as well as actual home-building, taking part in the annual Jimmy Carter Work Project "blitz build".

The 2006 Jimmy Carter Work Project took place 30 October–4 November in Lonavala, India. More than 2,000 volunteers from India and abroad joined Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in the construction of 101 homes.

Women Build
Originating in 1991 with a Charlotte, North Carolina home built by an entirely female crew of volunteers, Habitat's Women Build program has the stated aim of empowering women to participate in Habitat's mission and to introduce them to home construction, a traditionally male-dominated field. Habitat volunteers have completed over 350 Women Build homes within the United States. 

Habitat ReStore
Habitat ReStores are retail outlets that re-sell new and used renovation materials donated by large companies, job sites, and individuals. The sale of these building materials in turn supports local Habitat for Humanity affiliates. In the Washington State area, the name "ReStore" was already claimed, and the local Habitat associations created "Builder's Bargains".

For some Habitat affiliates, the ReStores generate sufficient revenue to cover all admistrative costs of the affiliate. This means that every dollar donated to the organization goes directly to homebuilding, and not to pay for overhead such as administrative costs. This is a big deal, as some other non-profits spend a high percentage of donated dollars on administrative costs such as salaries and rent. This is true for Habitat for Humanity Toronto (Canada). Their three ReStores generate enough money to pay for all administrative costs, and the surplus is used to build homes.

Who Says You Can't Go Home
The video for rock band Bon Jovi's song "Who Says You Can't Go Home" features Habitat for Humanity volunteers as well as the band building homes as part of Habitat for Humanity in Philadelphia, close to Bon Jovi's native New Jersey. It reflects Jon Bon Jovi's dedication to the organization and highlights the importance of community unity, faith, and involvement.

Criticism
Although Habitat enjoys high name recognition and regard as a non-profit, it has also been the subject of criticism. Some observers have questioned the cost-effectiveness of Habitat building projects. For the same amount of money, scores of thousands of lower-income Americans could receive outright grants to use as housing down payments with conventional lenders. Genuinely poor Americans could be helped to stay in homes they already own; thousands more apartment-or rowhouse-owners could receive funds and volunteer assistance renovating their existing properties. It is difficult to estimate effectiveness, as total volunteer hours on-site and aggregated homeowner financial data are not available. 

Families are required to show an ability to pay for their home in addition to the need for housing. With these requirements, homeless and low income families may fail to qualify for a Habitat home. Most American Habitat affiliates perform credit checks and criminal record checks on applicants before partnering with them for the construction of a home. Some critics therefore allege that Habitat misrepresents the nature of its work by partnering with families that might be considered nearly "middle-income."  To address this, in the United States many Habitat affiliates partner only with families that fall below the government-set "poverty line" for their area. The current poverty rate is measured according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines

The credit and income requirements help assure that Habitat applicants are able to maintain the purpose of the house. Foreclosures on Habitat houses have been very low: 2%, according to official figures. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build more Habitat homes.

Ousting of the founder
Habitat's founder, Millard Fuller, and his wife were dismissed by the Habitat board of directors on January 31 2005 after he was accused of "suggestive comments and inappropriate touching" toward a female employee during a ride to the Atlanta airport in 2003. HFH now says there was insufficient evidence to corroborate the complaint, and it now appears that the firing was due to a change in corporate culture.

Before Fuller's termination, attempts were made by former President Jimmy Carter to broker an agreement that would allow Fuller to retire with his $79,000 salary intact; when Fuller was found to have violated the non-disclosure portion of this agreement, he was subsequently fired. In response to his dismissal from the project he founded, Fuller has established The Fuller Center for Housing, which aims to work directly with local Habitat affiliates and other organizations, without involving the international headquarters.

Not Partnering with Local Communities
Habitat has faced opposition in the City of Edmonton in regard to their "Anderson Gardens" project. They initially wanted to build about 75 row houses in a strictly RF-1 housing community. Six hundred signatures from community members were collected within days of the announcement of the project. However, Community members feel that Habitat has largely ignored their requests. They have since reduced the number of homes planned to 50. The Anderson Gardens community feels that this is still an unacceptably high density. Neighbourhood members are strongly advocating for no more than 25 units, as that is the number the neighbourhood can sustain without major infrastructure upgrades. The sewer system and road networks adjacent to the property were not designed for such a high volume of people.