After Hurricane Katrina, Habitat for Humanity built 100s of houses in the Gulf area. But for one state, many of the houses built still haven't been occupied.In Mississippi, the rising insurance coasts have kept the people out. Only 6 out of the 30 houses have been filled. The people have been having trouble saving for the first year taxes and insurance that Habitat requires. In this Associated Press story found in the Desoto Times, the prospective homeowners have had to apply for other grants to raise the money. "It is a struggle. That is not unique to Habitat families. It's a struggle to most first-time buyers," Monforton said.But Hurricane Katrina, which hit in 2005, has exacerbated the average challenges homebuyers face.The storm nearly wiped out Mississippi's coast, taking with it...
from the Pocono Record By Andrew ScottPocono Record WriterJune 20, 2008In a country where four out of every 10 families are forced to live on less than $50 a month in one-room tin shacks and children miss school after it rains because the dirt roads are too muddy to walk on, how do people find hope for the future?One way is through building new homes for themselves, with the help of small no-interest loans and learning to keep and maintain their homes and budget both for living expenses and paying back those loans. Those payments go to help other families build homes.Habitat for Humanity's sister affiliate in Argentina has been giving people in that country the opportunity to do all this since 2004."It boosts self-esteem when people can say, 'Now I'm not so poor because I can help...
from Tulsa Worldby: PAUL KENT"Oklahoma, we have a problem."This variation of the Apollo 13 mayday should be sounded loudly today.In 2007, Oklahoma was tied with Kentucky for the seventh worst poverty rate. The state's current problems of substandard housing and alarming results about hunger found by Oklahoma's Task Force on Hunger warrant more than a rally cry. Needed are attention and action since housing and hunger plague one-fourth of the state's children and nearly one-fifth of the families live in poverty.In a 2005 Tulsa housing report, some 6,000 dwellings were found to be unsuitable for habitation. Then-Mayor Bill LaFortune, inspired by Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller, envisioned eliminating substandard housing in Tulsa by 2025, while making sure that all Tulsans had a...
from Habitat for Humanity Future housing needs defined by high urban growth in AP A Right to a Decent Home - Mapping Poverty Housing in the Asia-Pacific RegionBANGKOK, February 06, 2007 - Failure to address the real and growing housing needs of the rural and urban poor today, will have severe implications for those living in poverty in the next generation.Currently, 60 per cent of the world's slum areas are in the Asia-Pacific region, with most having little or no access to safe water, sanitation, or the most basic amenities. By 2030, another 1.3 billion people are expected to move to urban areas, almost all of whom will be poor. Those without home and hope will not only have a huge impact on economic stability, but will increasingly define both the housing needs as well as the political...