Why Habitat for Humanity is Needed

Habitat.org. The world is experiencing a global housing crisis.

About 1.6 billion people live in substandard housing and 100 million are homeless.(1)

Each week, more than 1 million people are born in, or move to, cities in the developing world.(2)

One billion people (32 percent of the global urban population) live in urban slums.

If no serious action were taken, the number of slum dwellers worldwide would increase over the next 30 years to nearly 2 billion.(3)

In the United States alone, 95 million people have housing problems.  Including payments too large a percentage of their income, overcrowding, poor quality shelter and homelessness.(4)

Clean, decent, and stable housing provides more than just a roof over someone’s head.

Stability for families and children.

Sense of dignity and pride.

Health, physical safety, and security.

Increase of educational and job prospects.

The transformational ability of good housing.

Clean, warm housing is essential for prevention and care of diseases of poverty like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diarrhea, and malaria.(5)

Children under five in Malawi living in Habitat for Humanity houses have 44 percent less malaria, respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases compared to children living in traditional houses.(6)