Habitat
Transcript: Do you remember what it was like growing up? Having a warm, welcoming home that always felt safe? A backyard to play in? Food in the fridge? At the time, you likely didn’t think about those things. No one could blame you for taking them for granted. Carefree; that’s how growing up should be. But life is not carefree for the children of the 1.3 million Canadian families in need of safe, decent and affordable shelter. (Youtube video) Millard & Linda Fuller "I see life as both a gift and resposibility, my responsibility is to use what God has given me to help his people in need" Mission To mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty Vision A world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. Values Housing for All – Access to safe, decent and affordable housing is a basic human right that should be available to everyone. Human Dignity – We believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. We respect the people we serve and those who help us in this effort. People are our greatest resource. Partnership – We can best achieve our mission through meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships with others. Faith in Action – Building on our Christian foundation, we serve and work with people of all faiths and beliefs in a spirit of justice and compassion. Faith is lived through action. Diversity and Inclusiveness – There is a role for everyone committed to our vision, mission and values. We seek to enrich our organization through diversity. Having little or no money Lack of support Condition of being poor WHO QUALIFIES? Stable Income Level of need Partnership WHERE? HOW? Fund for Humanity Volunteer & Sweat Equity Chapter 11 & 12 - CAGES and Health; CAGES and The State Some Q & A Habitat Canada collects information from the 72 affiliates across Canada related to the number of building starts and housing costs. They would look to HFHI for information on families served around the world by Habitat. They likely rely on other resources for stats on poverty in Canada, such as the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation. This is really a question for Kate Marshall – you could email her if you like. Families who express interest in joining the Habitat program usually attend some form of information meeting first. During that meeting, it would be explained that the family must have a stable source of income, and must be making a certain amount of money to be successful in the program. If the family cannot afford to own a home, it will become a burden for them, and not a help. Habitat’s program is geared specifically to families that have stable income, but not enough to save a down payment, and qualify for a traditional mortgage. Many families approach Habitat without realizing that this is what the organization is about. Many people think Habitat gives away homes for free. Therefore, after an information meeting, many families may realize the program is not what they were looking for or needing. The main benefit of the Habitat program is that a family can have an interest free mortgage, offered by Habitat, with no down payment. Most affiliates likely provide a list of other organizations or resources able to help families in need of assistance. Habitat offers a very specific program that does not fit all families, and so Habitat staff would do their best to point people towards other possible resources in their community. 3) If 200 people apply, but the organization is only capable of helping 100, what happens to the rest of the applicants? PROS CONS Discussion Questions BY: PAULINA OLEJNIK DIANA REID LEAH MARTIN JOHN PHAM Stress POVERTY : Limitations Rights Exclusion 1. Should more emphasis be put on helping individuals suffering from poverty housing? Or Is helping individuals who can pay back really best? Contributions 2) What happens to people who apply for HFH but do not have the funds to qualify? Are they turned away? Policies Cut offs HISTORY Emotions 2. What do you think about funding through AD revenue and partnership a smart way to get money, or a sleazy way to sell other companies? Support Struggles 1. Where does the information/stats on the habitat.ca website come from (like FAQ)? Does HFH do the research themselves? Building Confidence Health Exclusion Reproducing cycle of poverty Sweat Equity Hand up not Hand out Self-Esteem Hope Catalyst Eligibility The screening process for joining the Habitat program is very rigorous. Habitat staff and volunteers review each application based on 3 criteria: Need; Ability to Pay; Willingness to Partner with Habitat. If there were 200 people applying, Habitat would carefully review each family, looking at their finances, meeting them in their current home, discussing the whole process of becoming involved with Habitat..etc. If all 200 families met the criteria to proceed, and had equal need, the families would likely be assisted on a first come first served basis.