Houses Across the World:
Asia and the Pacific


The Philippines
Millions of Families Strain to Swim Against the Forceful Tide of Poverty
Home to 3.5 billion people, the Asia/Pacific region contains some of the most difficult living conditions in the world. The climate ranges from the sub-zero winters of Mongolia to the blistering desert summer of Australia's interior. Thus, protection from the elements remains a challenge many poor people in Asia/Pacific cannot meet on a subsistence farmer's income. Seeking jobs, millions of people migrate to urban areas, and without cash or land to build a house, they often pay exorbitant interest rates to moneylenders for decrepit housing in slum communities.

	Fires, which can spread rapidly among crowded, unstable houses built with poor materials, can be devastating not only to individual families, but to whole communities.
	Unstable flooring in houses built on stilts causes parents to fear that their children will fall through the cracks and disappear into the flood season's dirty water.
	Sometimes the only land available to poor families is land that no one else wants. It often floods, drains poorly, has no access to clean water and smells because of the continual moisture.
	Weak foundations or house supports can collapse during seasonal flooding.
	Human and animal waste and refuse collect in standing water, posing significant health risks.

Nepal
Habitat Pursues Innovative Solutions to Overwhelming Housing Need
The average Asia/Pacific Habitat homeowner earns less than US $1 per day. Affiliates in several countries have implemented a "Save and Build" program that allows extremely low-income families to build their houses one room at a time, giving them a chance to save money between building stages. Also, a focus on youth participation has boosted building, and thousands of youth provided labor and funds to build hundreds of houses in 11 countries during Youth Build 2002.

	Securely fastened roofing materials are a must in the Asia/Pacific region, where cyclone winds can damage roofing tiles or convert sheets of metal into flying razor blades.
	A strong door that can be secured relieves homeowners of the fear of vandalism and theft while they are at work.
	Homeowner Pratibba Adhikari and her daughter, Sostika, have lived in their Habitat house in Nepal since 2000.
	Adequate ventilation helps homeowners stay healthy and comfortable in hot, humid conditions.
	In urban areas, walls must be strong enough to withstand frequent impact, as bicycles, motorcycles, rickshaws, cattle and cars bump against houses on densely populated streets.