An estimated 5. 1 million American households face worst-case housing needs, according to the U. S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. Receiving little or no government housing assistance, these families are unable to find a decent place to live at a price they can afford to pay. They are also forced to pay more than half their income for housing, endure overcrowded conditions and live in houses with severe physical deficiencies, and that’s just in the U. S.
; worldwide more than 2 billion people live in poverty housing.While the number of families in poverty is growing, the number of affordable rental units is shrinking, and most families who qualify for government housing assistance aren”t receiving any aid. Working in partnership with low-income families to build decent homes they can afford to buy, Habitat for Humanity helps to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. By the end of 2005, more than 1 million people worldwide will live in decent, affordable Habitat for Humanity houses.
I’ve been researching HFH for about 2 months now because I am planning to join during the summer and I’ve realized that the need for decent, affordable housing is great and HFH helps fill that need. Today I’m going to tell you why HFH is needed, how HFH helps, why you should get involved and what you can do to help. First I’ll tell you why it’s needed. Next Slide MORE THAN 11 MILLION AMERICANS FACE WORST-CASE NEEDS According to a report prepared for Congress in 2003 by the U.
S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD, 5. 1 million American households face “worst-case housing needs.These families: • are renters receiving no government assistance; • make less than 50 percent of the area median income; • pay more than 50 percent of their income for rent and utilities and/or live in housing with severe physical deficiencies; • include some 3.
6 million children, 1. 6 million elderly adults and 1. 3 million disabled adults. Worldwide, the need is even greater.
Some 2 billion people worldwide live in poverty housing. More than 1 billion live in urban slums, and that figure is expected to double by 2030. Many of these people earn less than US$2 per day.Housing problems have far-reaching consequences.
The high cost of housing leaves low-income families little money for other basic necessities like food, clothing or health care. Substandard housing can endanger the health and safety of its occupants, erode their hope and self-worth, and impair their children”s ability to succeed in school. Next Slide Affordable Housing Statistics THE UNITED STATES” HOUSING NEED IS GREAT More than 30 million U. S.
households face one or more of the following housing problems: • Cost burdens: paying an excessively large percentage of income on housing costs.More than 13 million households pay more than 50 percent of their income for housing. • Overcrowding: the number of people living in the house is greater than the total number of rooms in the house. About 6.
1 million households live in overcrowded conditions. • Physical inadequacy: severe physical deficiencies, such as having no hot water, no electricity, no toilet, or neither a bathtub nor a shower. One out of every seven poor families lives in severely physically inadequate housing.GOVERNMENT AID IS NOT HELPING MOST OF THOSE IN NEED Of the 30 million households with housing problems, 14.
million qualify for government aid, yet only 4. 1 million are actually receiving any. In fact, most of the U. S.
government”s housing subsidies do not benefit the poor. For example, in 1995, homeowners earning more than $100,000 per year received a total of $28. 9 billion in federal income tax deductions on mortgage interest payments. By comparison, the entire 1999 budget of HUD was only $25 billion.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS GETTING HARDER TO FIND For every 100 very low-income renters, only 76 affordable rental units are currently available.Between 1997 and 2001, the number of available units declined 13 percent; there were 1. 8 million fewer units that very low-income renters could afford. To afford the fair-market price of the average U.
S. two-bedroom rental unit, renters working full-time need to earn at least $15. 28 per hour. That”s almost three times the current federal minimum wage and 37 percent more than renters needed to earn in 1999.
For the 14. 8 million U. S. households that make $10,000 or less per year, a year”s rent costs about 70 percent of their annual income.
More than 2 million housing units have “severe physical problems. ” This includes 1. 4 million that have severe plumbing problems. About 1.
6 million have one or more rooms without electrical outlets. Next Slide AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD Currently there are some 1. 2 billion people worldwide experiencing “income poverty,” meaning they live on the equivalent of less than one dollar per day. 1 The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements UNCHS has estimated that 1.
1 billion people are living in inadequate housing conditions in urban areas alone.They have also estimated that some approximately 21 million new housing units are required each year in developing countries to accommodate growth in the number of households during the period between 2000 and 2010 period. Some 14 million additional units would be required each year for the next 20 years if the current housing deficit is to be replaced by 2020. 3 In Latin America, households need 5.
4 times their annual income to buy a house. In Africa, they need an average of 12. 5 times their annual income.The highest rents are found in the Arab States, where a household spends an average of 45 percent of its monthly income on rent.
Real estate costs are highest in Asia and the Pacific where one square meter of land for a serviced plot costs an average of $3. 10 in U. S. dollars.
PEOPLE WORLDWIDE NEED DECENT HOUSES IN DECENT COMMUNITIES Less than 20 percent of households in Africa are connected to piped water, and only 40 percent have piped water within 200 meters of their home. In the developing world, 29 percent of cities have areas considered as “inaccessible” or “dangerous” to the police.In Latin America and the Caribbean, this figure is 48 percent. In cities of the developing world, one out of every four households lives in poverty.
Forty percent of African urban households are living below the locally defined poverty line. Less than 35 percent of cities in the developing world have their wastewater treated. In countries with economies in transition, 75 percent of solid wastes are disposed of in open dumps. Now I’m going to tell you a little about how HFH helps.
Next Slide What is Habitat for Humanity?Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, Christian housing ministry. HFH seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of principles and action. How does it work? Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner partner families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans.
The homeowners” monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor — sweat equity — into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. What does a Habitat house cost? Throughout the world, the cost of houses varies from as little as $800 in some developing countries to an average of $46,600 in the United States.
Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price and no interest charged on the mortgage.Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years. What are Habitat affiliates? Habitat for Humanity”s work is accomplished at the community level by affiliates — independent, locally run, nonprofit organizations. Each affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat home building in its local area — fund raising, building site selection, partner family selection and support, house construction and mortgage servicing.
More than 1,500 Habitat for Humanity affiliates are at work in the United States, building houses in partnership with people in need of decent, affordable housing.Habitat houses are purchased by families at prices affordable to low-income Americans, thanks to the donated labor of Habitat volunteers, the support of partner organizations and the no-profit, no-interest terms of every Habitat for Humanity mortgage. Habitat for Humanity has helped change the lives of more than 30,000 American families since its first U. S.
affiliate was founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1978, according to habitat. org. Habitat for Humanity International”s headquarters, located in Americus, Ga. , USA, provides information, training and a variety of other support services to Habitat affiliates worldwide.
All Habitat affiliates are asked to give 10 percent of their contributions to fund house-building work in other nations. This provides much-needed funds for international building, and it also gives affiliates the opportunity to demonstrate the spirit of Christian partnership. In 2001, U. S.
affiliates contributed over $9 million to support Habitat”s work overseas. Some affiliates in developing countries also receive funding grants from Habitat for Humanity International. Where does Habitat for Humanity operate? 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, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.
How are the partner families selected? Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate”s family selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat houses.
Now why should you get involved? Habitat addresses local housing needs; families receive the benefits of home ownership, stability, security, a sense of dignity and pride, and also improved control over financial circumstances. Habitat benefits the community by developing responsible residents who have a stake in the future of their community, bringing up property values and attracting further investment in the community. Personally you’ll get a sense of accomplishment. You’ll know that you made a difference in someone’s life.
That instead of using your free time to go to the beach, you took the initiative to sign up, and help out a family in need. This will set you apart from everybody else and it looks great on a resume. Now here’s what you can do to help. Next Slide 1.
Volunteer your time skilled or unskilled labor, office work, administration, fundraising, and promotion; they need volunteers in all aspects of the organization. But they have a special need for those with roofing, framing, drywall, plumbing, and electrical skills. Usually 20-40 volunteers are needed when they build houses.The houses are built over a 4 week period with volunteers working three days a week.
2. You can make a tax deductible contribution or a monthly pledge. 3. Sponsor a house, donate land, or offer a no interest loan.
4. Schedule a presentation about Habitat for Humanity with your church, school, or other organizations to interest them in a partnership program with Habitat for Humanity. An organization could sponsor the labor or the materials or both for an entire house or share with another organization. 5.
Donate materials: they are really in need of goggles, screwdrivers, 25 foot tape measures and face masks.Next Slide In conclusion, I have told you today why HFH is needed, how HFH helps, why you should get involved and what you can do to help. If you are willing to get involved, give HFH a call and they will be glad to have you as part of their team. For more information contact the Northwest INDIANA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY at 937-2292, or stop by 6219 Calumet Avenue, Hammond, IN 46324.
You can also visit their website at nwihabitat. com or HFH main site at habitat. org. Remember that the need for decent, affordable housing is great and HFH helps fill that need.
Volunteers are always needed so get out there and help.
, according to the U. S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. Receiving little or no government housing assistance, these families are unable to find a decent place to live at a price they can afford to pay. They are also forced to pay more than half their income for housing, endure overcrowded conditions and live in houses with severe physical deficiencies, and that’s just in the U. S.
; worldwide more than 2 billion people live in poverty housing.While the number of families in poverty is growing, the number of affordable rental units is shrinking, and most families who qualify for government housing assistance aren”t receiving any aid. Working in partnership with low-income families to build decent homes they can afford to buy, Habitat for Humanity helps to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. By the end of 2005, more than 1 million people worldwide will live in decent, affordable Habitat for Humanity houses.
I’ve been researching HFH for about 2 months now because I am planning to join during the summer and I’ve realized that the need for decent, affordable housing is great and HFH helps fill that need. Today I’m going to tell you why HFH is needed, how HFH helps, why you should get involved and what you can do to help. First I’ll tell you why it’s needed. Next Slide MORE THAN 11 MILLION AMERICANS FACE WORST-CASE NEEDS According to a report prepared for Congress in 2003 by the U.
S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD, 5. 1 million American households face “worst-case housing needs.These families: • are renters receiving no government assistance; • make less than 50 percent of the area median income; • pay more than 50 percent of their income for rent and utilities and/or live in housing with severe physical deficiencies; • include some 3.
6 million children, 1. 6 million elderly adults and 1. 3 million disabled adults. Worldwide, the need is even greater.
Some 2 billion people worldwide live in poverty housing. More than 1 billion live in urban slums, and that figure is expected to double by 2030. Many of these people earn less than US$2 per day.Housing problems have far-reaching consequences.
The high cost of housing leaves low-income families little money for other basic necessities like food, clothing or health care. Substandard housing can endanger the health and safety of its occupants, erode their hope and self-worth, and impair their children”s ability to succeed in school. Next Slide Affordable Housing Statistics THE UNITED STATES” HOUSING NEED IS GREAT More than 30 million U. S.
households face one or more of the following housing problems: • Cost burdens: paying an excessively large percentage of income on housing costs.More than 13 million households pay more than 50 percent of their income for housing. • Overcrowding: the number of people living in the house is greater than the total number of rooms in the house. About 6.
1 million households live in overcrowded conditions. • Physical inadequacy: severe physical deficiencies, such as having no hot water, no electricity, no toilet, or neither a bathtub nor a shower. One out of every seven poor families lives in severely physically inadequate housing.GOVERNMENT AID IS NOT HELPING MOST OF THOSE IN NEED Of the 30 million households with housing problems, 14.
million qualify for government aid, yet only 4. 1 million are actually receiving any. In fact, most of the U. S.
government”s housing subsidies do not benefit the poor. For example, in 1995, homeowners earning more than $100,000 per year received a total of $28. 9 billion in federal income tax deductions on mortgage interest payments. By comparison, the entire 1999 budget of HUD was only $25 billion.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS GETTING HARDER TO FIND For every 100 very low-income renters, only 76 affordable rental units are currently available.Between 1997 and 2001, the number of available units declined 13 percent; there were 1. 8 million fewer units that very low-income renters could afford. To afford the fair-market price of the average U.
S. two-bedroom rental unit, renters working full-time need to earn at least $15. 28 per hour. That”s almost three times the current federal minimum wage and 37 percent more than renters needed to earn in 1999.
For the 14. 8 million U. S. households that make $10,000 or less per year, a year”s rent costs about 70 percent of their annual income.
More than 2 million housing units have “severe physical problems. ” This includes 1. 4 million that have severe plumbing problems. About 1.
6 million have one or more rooms without electrical outlets. Next Slide AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD Currently there are some 1. 2 billion people worldwide experiencing “income poverty,” meaning they live on the equivalent of less than one dollar per day. 1 The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements UNCHS has estimated that 1.
1 billion people are living in inadequate housing conditions in urban areas alone.They have also estimated that some approximately 21 million new housing units are required each year in developing countries to accommodate growth in the number of households during the period between 2000 and 2010 period. Some 14 million additional units would be required each year for the next 20 years if the current housing deficit is to be replaced by 2020. 3 In Latin America, households need 5.
4 times their annual income to buy a house. In Africa, they need an average of 12. 5 times their annual income.The highest rents are found in the Arab States, where a household spends an average of 45 percent of its monthly income on rent.
Real estate costs are highest in Asia and the Pacific where one square meter of land for a serviced plot costs an average of $3. 10 in U. S. dollars.
PEOPLE WORLDWIDE NEED DECENT HOUSES IN DECENT COMMUNITIES Less than 20 percent of households in Africa are connected to piped water, and only 40 percent have piped water within 200 meters of their home. In the developing world, 29 percent of cities have areas considered as “inaccessible” or “dangerous” to the police.In Latin America and the Caribbean, this figure is 48 percent. In cities of the developing world, one out of every four households lives in poverty.
Forty percent of African urban households are living below the locally defined poverty line. Less than 35 percent of cities in the developing world have their wastewater treated. In countries with economies in transition, 75 percent of solid wastes are disposed of in open dumps. Now I’m going to tell you a little about how HFH helps.
Next Slide What is Habitat for Humanity?Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, Christian housing ministry. HFH seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of principles and action. How does it work? Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner partner families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans.
The homeowners” monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor — sweat equity — into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. What does a Habitat house cost? Throughout the world, the cost of houses varies from as little as $800 in some developing countries to an average of $46,600 in the United States.
Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price and no interest charged on the mortgage.Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years. What are Habitat affiliates? Habitat for Humanity”s work is accomplished at the community level by affiliates — independent, locally run, nonprofit organizations. Each affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat home building in its local area — fund raising, building site selection, partner family selection and support, house construction and mortgage servicing.
More than 1,500 Habitat for Humanity affiliates are at work in the United States, building houses in partnership with people in need of decent, affordable housing.Habitat houses are purchased by families at prices affordable to low-income Americans, thanks to the donated labor of Habitat volunteers, the support of partner organizations and the no-profit, no-interest terms of every Habitat for Humanity mortgage. Habitat for Humanity has helped change the lives of more than 30,000 American families since its first U. S.
affiliate was founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1978, according to habitat. org. Habitat for Humanity International”s headquarters, located in Americus, Ga. , USA, provides information, training and a variety of other support services to Habitat affiliates worldwide.
All Habitat affiliates are asked to give 10 percent of their contributions to fund house-building work in other nations. This provides much-needed funds for international building, and it also gives affiliates the opportunity to demonstrate the spirit of Christian partnership. In 2001, U. S.
affiliates contributed over $9 million to support Habitat”s work overseas. Some affiliates in developing countries also receive funding grants from Habitat for Humanity International. Where does Habitat for Humanity operate? 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, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.
How are the partner families selected? Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate”s family selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat houses.
Now why should you get involved? Habitat addresses local housing needs; families receive the benefits of home ownership, stability, security, a sense of dignity and pride, and also improved control over financial circumstances. Habitat benefits the community by developing responsible residents who have a stake in the future of their community, bringing up property values and attracting further investment in the community. Personally you’ll get a sense of accomplishment. You’ll know that you made a difference in someone’s life.
That instead of using your free time to go to the beach, you took the initiative to sign up, and help out a family in need. This will set you apart from everybody else and it looks great on a resume. Now here’s what you can do to help. Next Slide 1.
Volunteer your time skilled or unskilled labor, office work, administration, fundraising, and promotion; they need volunteers in all aspects of the organization. But they have a special need for those with roofing, framing, drywall, plumbing, and electrical skills. Usually 20-40 volunteers are needed when they build houses.The houses are built over a 4 week period with volunteers working three days a week.
2. You can make a tax deductible contribution or a monthly pledge. 3. Sponsor a house, donate land, or offer a no interest loan.
4. Schedule a presentation about Habitat for Humanity with your church, school, or other organizations to interest them in a partnership program with Habitat for Humanity. An organization could sponsor the labor or the materials or both for an entire house or share with another organization. 5.
Donate materials: they are really in need of goggles, screwdrivers, 25 foot tape measures and face masks.Next Slide In conclusion, I have told you today why HFH is needed, how HFH helps, why you should get involved and what you can do to help. If you are willing to get involved, give HFH a call and they will be glad to have you as part of their team. For more information contact the Northwest INDIANA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY at 937-2292, or stop by 6219 Calumet Avenue, Hammond, IN 46324.
You can also visit their website at nwihabitat. com or HFH main site at habitat. org. Remember that the need for decent, affordable housing is great and HFH helps fill that need.
Volunteers are always needed so get out there and help.
