Euro 2007 Build draws largest volunteer group in Habitat ECA history

RADAUTI, Romania (September 20, 2007) – Habitat for Humanity in September held its biggest volunteer event yet in Europe and Central Asia.

More than 650 volunteers attended the Euro 2007 Habitat Build in the city of Radauti, located in northern Romania near Ukraine. From Sept. 1- 9, volunteers from Romania, Europe and abroad worked with 27 families to build 27 houses – one for each nation of the European Union – in five days. Also working alongside the volunteers and families were ambassadors, politicians, corporate leaders and European Union representatives.

“The Euro 2007 Habitat Build was a cornerstone for both Habitat for Humanity Romania and for the 650 volunteers participating at the building of the 27 houses,” said Habitat for Humanity National Manager Adrian Ciorna. “The solidarity between volunteers, partners, sponsors and local authorities made it possible for 27 families to have a decent home.”

The goal of the Euro 2007 Habitat Build was to recognize Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession into the EU and to raise awareness about the effects of poverty housing. About one of every four of Romania’s 22.2 million residents lives in poverty. In 2007 Habitat and its partners declared Radauti the “European Capital of Volunteering” and the flagship city for the fight against inadequate housing.

Ambassadors, politicians, sports stars, media partners and other guests attended the event, including: EU Ambassador to Romania Donato Chiarini and Portuguese Ambassador to Romania Alexandre Vassalo; two-time world champion of Handball, Ing. Christian Gatu; Former Romanian President Emil Constantinescu; and Romanian Minister of Development, Public Works and Housing, Laszlo Borbely.

Corporate partners of the Euro 2007 Habitat Build were Vodafone, Lafarge and BRD Group Societe Generale Bank. Other sponsors included Whirlpool, Consolis, Petrom, McDonald’s, Citi Group, MoneyGram, Consolis, Coca Cola, Lasselsberger Knauf, Isover, Austrotherm, Moeller and Akzo Novel. Sponsors donated money and materials and sent volunteers to build the 27 homes.

As with all Habitat builds, the 27 houses built as part of the Euro 2007 Habitat Build will be transferred to selected families who will finance them through a 20-year, no-interest mortgage that is two to four times less costly than rental payments for a similar house.

Habitat partner families are selected based on three criteria: need; ability to repay the mortgage; and a commitment to contribute up to 1,500 “sweat-equity” hours building their own house and those of other families.

The Anfimov family was one of the 27 families selected as part of the Euro 2007 Habitat Build. Filip, 27, Cristina, 24, and their 2-year-old boy Sergiu will be moving into their new house from a rental unit with a single room and tiny kitchen. It had no running water, and the toilet was outside. The only source of running water was from a fountain in their garden.

The home that the Anfimovs will move into is designated as the milestone, 2,000th house that Habitat for Humanity has built in Europe and Central Asia since 2001. In 2006, Habitat for Humanity Europe and Central Asia dedicated its 1,000th home in Dublin, Ireland.

Background

The Euro 2007 Habitat Build launched on May 9, 2007 (the Day of Europe) to highlight the need for decent housing conditions.

On July 1, politicians, diplomats, ministers, corporate representatives and academics held a round table discussion on the topic, titled, “Aspects of Poor Housing in Romania and the EU: Present and Future.”

“I particularly appreciate this initiative, and I consider that bringing volunteers from all over the world to work together to the benefit of the families in need is a beautiful example of solidarity, a European value that the Romanians fully share,” said Ambassador Chiarini.

“The issue of poor housing is a reality and we have to set up partnerships between all the actors involved in order to solve it,” said Minister Borbely. “We need good coordination and collaboration to rehabilitate degraded areas through integrated projects for urban development.”

Immediately following the event, those who attended showed their support for the Euro 2007 Habitat Build by ceremoniously building the first roof truss in the heart of downtown Bucharest. The truss was then transported to Radauti for the Sept. 3 launch celebration and was used in the construction of one of the 27 houses.