Habitat For Humanity
Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit. In locations outside the United States, Habitat for Humanity charges interest to protect against inflation.
This policy has been in place since 1986.
History
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 operational headquarters are located in Americus, with the administrative headquarters located in Atlanta.
Staff members at all locations serve to support and promote the activities of local, independent Habitat for Humanity groups, which initiate and manage construction, mortgages and homeowner selection worldwide.
In 1996, U.S. and more than 150,000 around the world.” 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.
In the fall of 2007, alternative rock bands Switchfoot and Relient K went on the Appetite For Construction Tour, partnering with Habitat while raising awareness for the organization and donating a dollar per ticket sold.
The tour was highly successful, raising over $100,000 for donation to the cause. On November 13, 2008, Habitat for Humanity raised the walls on its 300,000th house in Collier County, Fla.; the next day, work began on the 300,001st house in Zacapa, Guatemala.
Qualifications for home ownership
According to the official website,
Homeowner families are chosen according to their need; their ability to repay the no-profit, affordable 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, the number of wage-earning adults in each family, and the recipients’ health issues.
Mortgage payments from homeowners are deposited into a locally-administered "Fund for Humanity," the proceeds of which go toward future construction. In an effort to discourage predatory lenders from targeting Habitat homeowner families, mortgage agreements allow the Habitat for Humanity affiliate the right of first refusal.
This could mean concrete block homes in Third World nations or poured concrete-walled homes in hurricane-prone regions of the United States. Habitat organizations in more developed countries are strongly encouraged to donate 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's tithe helps to support an equal number of housing outcomes abroad, predominantly in the Pacific region.
Habitat relies on volunteer labor in order to construct simple and affordable homes with its partner families, as well as to build community and civil society in the areas in which it works. 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. These programs are designed to engage specific groups for annual projects or on an ongoing basis.
Habitat's Gulf Coast Recovery
Habitat initiated a special program to help restore housing to the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
It also became a catalyst for other organizations, corporations and the government to provide help and support in rebuilding the area and has received considerable national media attention.
As part of Operation Home Delivery, housing components were assembled in nearby less-affected locations such as Jackson, Mississippi, allowing much of the construction to be accomplished while basic infrastructure was being restored. 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.
Harry Connick Jr., and Branford Marsalis are honorary chairs of Habitat's hurricane rebuilding program, and one of the many projects along the Gulf Coast is the Musicians' Village at 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 go during their spring break.
Collegiate Challenge volunteers travel to affiliates throughout the United States and participate in week-long building activities at their host's work sites. More than 14,500 volunteers took part in Collegiate Challenge in 2008, making it one of the world's largest alternative break programs.
Since its inception in 1989, more than 150,000 students have participated in Collegiate Challenge.
Global Village Trips
As suggested by the name, Habitat for Humanity International places a strong emphasis on building homes around the world. This was the second national Home Builders Blitz program, which was begun on the local level in 2002 in Raleigh, N.C.
Since then, the professional homebuilders industry has supported Habitat by building more than 800 homes.
Jimmy Carter Work Project
Former U.S. Women Build projects provide an environment in which women can feel comfortable learning construction skills they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn.
Proceeds from ReStores help local affiliates fund the construction of Habitat houses within the community. Many affiliates across the United States and Canada operate successful ReStores—some of which raise enough funds to build an additional 10 or more houses per year.
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.
Riders must raise a certain amount before the trip and spend nearly three months of their summer spreading the word about Habitat and getting communities involved. It is difficult to estimate effectiveness, as total volunteer hours on-site and aggregated homeowner financial data are not available.
However, Habitat houses in the United States are more affordable for low-income families than commercially built houses because volunteers help build the homes, which are sold at no profit.
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, many Habitat affiliates in the United States partner only with families that fall below the government-set "poverty line" for their area.
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, citing “a pattern of ongoing public comments and communications by the Fullers that have been divisive and disruptive to the organization’s work” after Fuller was accused by a former female employee of "suggestive comments and inappropriate touching" during a ride to the Atlanta airport in 2003.