DIGH, Habitat for Humanity to build 120 homes in Romania

BEIUS, ROMANIA (15 December 2008) – Habitat for Humanity Romania is scaling up a 2-year-old lending program that will finance the construction of 120 simple, decent, affordable homes for low-income families throughout the country, thanks to a US$1.1 million capital contribution from a Netherlands-based housing foundation.

The funds from Dutch International Guarantees for Housing (DIGH) are being matched by another $1.2 million to create a lending pool of about $2.3 million that will be loaned at no profit to Romanian families in need of adequate shelter.

“We’re honored to continue to work with DIGH to eliminate substandard housing in Romania,” said Habitat for Humanity Romania president Adrian Ciorna. “This next phase of our partnership will offer a hand up to nearly double the number of families we worked with in the first phase. It’s another important step in making sure that everyone in Romania who needs a decent place to sleep at night has one.”

All seven Habitat for Humanity affiliates, or grassroots organizations, in Romania will disburse the no-profit loans to families earning less than 80 percent of the average income in their locations. Qualifying families demonstrate a genuine need for better housing, agree to contribute hundreds of hours of work to the construction of their home or their neighbors’, and show the ability to repay a low-interest, no-profit mortgage.

The Habitat affiliates in Romania are in Beius, Cluj, Comanesti, Craiova, Cumpana, Pitesti and Radauti.

The first phase of the project began in June 2006 and completed 70 new homes. Housing units in the second phase will vary in design and size and will likely include single-family houses, duplexes, quadraplexes and multi-unit row blocks.