World Habitat Day

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October as annual World Habitat Day. World Habitat Day 2010 will be held on Oct. 4.

The purpose
World Habitat Day’s purpose is to call attention to the current global state of the human habitat and push toward adequate housing for all.

We hope that by raising awareness and advocating for universal decent housing we can dismantle and alter the systems that reinforce and entrench poverty housing. In doing so, we can make an affordable, decent place to live a reality for all.

World Habitat Day is a day for grassroots action and a day for people to be united in their efforts to eradicate poverty housing.

Get involved Oct. 4–7, 2010
Habitat for Humanity organizations around the world, in partnership with others, plan World Habitat Day events focused on education, advocacy and fundraising. This year, the focus issues for these efforts are health and housing internationally and neighborhood revitalization in the United States.

The 27th Carter Work Project will spearhead World Habitat Day events in six U.S. cities Oct. 3–8. Volunteers will join in building and rehabilitating houses with Habitat homeowner families, former President Carter and Mrs. Carter and other celebrities.

This year, the Carter Work Project will be held in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; and Birmingham, Alabama.

Other ways to get involved:

• Read Habitat’s World Habitat Day 2010 brochure to learn more about key issues and how to plan an event.
• Participate in the World Habitat Day Photo Wall.
• Download and share World Habitat Day resources.
• Submit your World Habitat Day events to have them highlighted on Habitat.org.
• Support Habitat’s Build Louder advocacy campaign.
• Advocate for decent housing for all: Send a message to your members of Congress and urge them to support affordable housing initiatives.
• Donate to Habitat for Humanity.

Learn more

• Take a virtual tour of the Capotillo informal settlement in the Dominican Republic.
• Read statistics and research about poverty housing in the U.S. and around the world.

For more information, e-mail worldhabitatday@habitat.org.