It Can Be Done!
By Millard Fuller

The vision of Habitat for Humanity is clear: a world with no poverty housing and no homelessness. Every human being should have, at least, a simple, decent place to live.

The missing component that allows miserable housing conditions to continue in this world is the will to solve the problem. The financial and human resources are available in abundant supply. All that is lacking is the determined will to conquer the problem.

That is what Habitat for Humanity seeks to do: To create the will to move from the darkness of the 20th century's poverty housing into an illuminated 21st century that is filled with adequate housing for all. We want to make shelter a matter of conscience. Inadequate housing and homelessness must become politically, socially and religiously unacceptable.

There are significant rewards for engaging in this noble effort. Among them is the joy of seeing the impact a decent home has on a family.

I had that joy yet again when I traveled to Mexico in September.

There, the 4,000th Habitat house built by the Mezquital Valley affiliate was dedicated. The owners are six children whose father died and whose mother abandoned them.

Oscar, now 21, was 15 at the time he took over the family. I wish you could have seen Oscar's tears as he received the keys to their new house.

Next, we dedicated the 80,000th house built worldwide by Habitat for Humanity. The homeowner is a single mother with four daughters. They had waited five years for their Habitat house, and wept openly as they received their keys and a Bible.

As of September, the 10,000th Habitat house built in Mexico was dedicated. That house, in Mexico City, was for a young couple with two children. The family's faces radiated incredible joy.

Should we redouble our efforts to end poverty housing? What I experienced in Mexico convinces me again that we must press on. God has called us to this work and we will continue to make steady and bold progress.


Millard Fuller is the founder and president of Habitat for Humanity International.


Reprinted from Habitat World Magazine, December/January 2000.
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©1999 Habitat for Humanity International