THE FUTURE IS NOW
By Karen Free

Eliminating substandard housing from the earth is the goal and vision of Habitat for Humanity International. It's an enormous undertaking, yet for the past 24 years, Habitat has been striving to do just that.

In January 1992, Habitat for Humanity founder and president Millard Fuller made a bold proposal: a specific initiative to eliminate poverty housing in cooperation with other housing-related funders in Sumter County, Ga.-home of HFHI's headquarters-by the end of the decade. The idea gave birth to what became known as the "Sumter County Initiative."

Today, that target is within striking distance. As of September, a detailed platting survey of the county showed 77 substandard houses remained occupied by families who meet Habitat's homeownership criteria of need, ability to pay a mortgage, and willingness to contribute "sweat equity" on their home.

This model program is about to be replicated in other parts of the United States, as dozens of affiliates, and the communities they serve, investigate the feasibility of setting 20-year goals for eliminating substandard housing in their communities.

"For every decade of the 21st century, we expect a growing wave of communities will step forward and set a date by which substandard housing will be eliminated in their communities," says Clive Rainey, director of the 21st Century Challenge. "This is based on moral heat; the Bible tells us to love one another. It's not a suggestion-it's a rule."


Karen Free is associate editor of Habitat World.


Reprinted from Habitat World Magazine, December/January 2000.
This article may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
©1999 Habitat for Humanity International