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| Since hurricanes Katrina and Rita, nearly 244,500 donors have contributed nearly $123 million through Habitat for Gulf Coast reconstruction. |
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by Donald Bonin
Operation Home Delivery, Habitat's hurricane recovery program that was created immediately after Hurricane Katrina, continues to gain momentum in the affected areas along the Gulf Coast. To date, Habitat for Humanity International has recorded some 244,500 individual donations and pledges totaling nearly $123 million in cash and in-kind contributions.
As this was written, about $16 million of that had already been used in the recovery effort, some $12 million of which has been spent on capacity building, construction and land acquisition. As home building is a measured, methodical process compared with immediate relief efforts, Habitat anticipates it will be mid-summer 2007 before the current funding is exhausted. As time goes by, Habitat's administrative expenses will be about 13 percent.
Just six months after hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the coastal region, more than 220 houses are now under construction or have been completed in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, with hundreds more planned for the coming months, says Ken Meinert, senior vice president for Operation Home Delivery.
Clearly, the region's housing need far exceeds the scheduled 1,000 houses, so Habitat for Humanity has committed to working in the area and to building as many houses as its funding and volunteer resources allow. "We have been incredibly blessed by our donors, corporate partners and volunteers," says Meinert. "We will need their continued support to help all of the potential partner families in the affected area. This is a long-term process, and Habitat is in this for the long haul."
Following the hurricanes, thousands of volunteers contacted Habitat wishing to lend a hand in the recovery effort. Since food and lodging were limited throughout the coastal region, Habitat began its "containerized house" phase, in which volunteers in communities across the United States built interior and exterior wall frames that were then shipped to the coast and reassembled in partnership with displaced families.
Now, however, as services are reinstated, Habitat is bringing in more and more volunteer groups to help with the rebuilding process, which will continue to intensify as infrastructure is restored.
Land acquisition is the key to building capacity and building homes throughout the affected area, says Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity International CEO. So far, Habitat has secured 500 lots, which - once infrastructure is in place and Habitat houses are completed--represent a $37 million investment.
"Buildable land is in short supply," says Meinert, "and what is available is oftentimes selling at a premium. We're working hard to purchase the best lots for a fair price. It's an ongoing challenge, but we have been blessed with some land donations." Habitat also is working with the government at the local, state and national levels to obtain much-needed land and other support.
"Funding a recovery program of this magnitude is challenging," says Reckford. "The expenses include more than just the raw cost of a house. They also include land acquisition and development, in addition to professional services and program support." The average cost of a house sponsorship through Operation Home Delivery is $75,000.
Habitat for Humanity has been tremendously fortunate to have received unprecedented response in support of its disaster-recovery efforts, yet the dollars raised fall well short of what is needed to build significant numbers of homes. That's why Habitat sees its role as an important part of the overall solution, working with so many partners to help meet the need so many families share.
While Habitat for Humanity cannot be the answer to all low-income housing needs created by the hurricanes, the organization does expect to assist thousands of Gulf Coast residents and, just as importantly according to Reckford, to work in real partnership with other organizations to serve as a catalyst in the rebuilding process.
Donald Bonin is Habitat for Humanity International's public relations director.
