World Habitat Day

Focusing the world on secure tenure, poverty housing

As part of its mission to make housing a matter of conscience and action, Habitat for Humanity will raise its voice to support World Habitat Day on Monday, 6 October 2008.

This year, Habitat for Humanity is demonstrating support of World Habitat Day by shining the spotlight on the lack of secure tenure for the world’s poor.

World Habitat Day, an annual event created by the United Nations, falls on the first Monday in October and calls attention to the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat, including adequate housing.

For the more than 1.6 billion people suffering from shelter deprivation in the world, that future is bleak. Without access to adequate shelter, clean water or sanitation, upwards of 10 million people die each year from preventable diseases. Many of them are infants. In some parts of the world, entire families face forced eviction from property or land they own.

Urbanization continues at a rapid rate, with half of humanity now living in towns and cities. Today, one-third of the current urban population—a staggering 1 billion people—live in slums. By 2030, estimates are that two-thirds of the world’s population will be urban dwellers, exponentially increasing the number of people living in slums if action is not taken to provide decent and affordable housing.

Breaking the cycle of poverty
Secure tenure signifies that an individual has protection against eviction from housing or property they rightfully own or rent. Right now, families in many parts of the world are being forced from their homes as a result of harassment, corruption, excessive bureaucracy and discrimination against women and minorities.

Once secure tenure is established, it can break the cycle of poverty by spurring economic development, offering long-term stability for families and reducing conflicts within communities.

Please join Habitat for Humanity in support of World Habitat Day 2008, as it raises its voice and takes a stand in support of those facing wrongful eviction in our communities, in our countries and in our world.

For information on how you can help, e-mail worldhabitatday@habitat.org.

ECA Regional Highlights: Plans for World Habitat Day 2008

• Armenia: HFH Armenia will undertake a weeklong “World Habitat Build,” resulting in the completion of two half-built houses and marking the launch of a communitywide campaign to end substandard housing in Nshavan, a village of 2,400 near the capital city of Yerevan.
• Bulgaria: HFH Bulgaria will launch an informational campaign in 10 Bulgarian towns. The campaign will be organized in partnership with Mikrofond EAD Sofia and will cover the whole spectrum of the services and products Habitat provides, but mainly will present a new home-improvement and energy-efficiency loan program – the  product of a  project financed by Habitat Bulgaria, Mikrofond Bulgaria and DIGH.
• Hungary: HFH ECA and HFH Hungary are co-sponsoring a policy conference titled “Options to Social Rental Housing in the Central and East European Region.” HFH will give presentations during the conference focused HFH ECA work and the HFHI Global Housing Index. Ron Terwilliger, HFH international board chair, will attend and speak at the opening ceremonies.
• Northern Ireland: Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland will launch its Schools Fundraising campaign ‘Hands Up for Habitat’ on World Habitat Day. The campaign is designed to help children learn about the importance of shelter as a basic human need while raising funds to ensure Habitat can continue to provide simple, decent, affordable housing worldwide.
• Macedonia: HFH Macedonia, in an effort to launch a Habitat Youth Program, will team up with a local school and judge essays, artwork, videos, thank you cards, etc, that children from the school will have developed around the topic of poverty housing. Actor Sashko Kocev will host the event at the school and media will be invited.
• Poland: HFH Poland is leading the planning and organization of a panel discussion on potential housing solutions in Poland. The event will include the participation of housing experts, representatives of Ministry of Infrastructure and members of the “Roofs Over Heads” coalition. In addition, a special edition of the HFH Poland e-newsletter focusing on World Habitat Day will be sent to HFH Poland supporters.
• Romania: Three Global Village teams in will build with three romanian Habitat affiliates and have a specific focus on educational focus about the importance of World Habitat Day. Additionally, each of the seven affiliates will organize a poverty housing tour within their community for the press and public at large.
• Tajikistan: HFH Tajikistan plans write an article explaining the importance and relevance of World Habitat Day that to be used for their website and sent to other NGO’s, officials and supporters.
• ECA Region: Eight Global Village trips to 6 different Europe and Central Asia countries will be in place around World Habitat Day. Where possible, Global Village trips will be coupled with World Habitat Day events.