Habitat in Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States: Facing High Costs, Changing Old Attitudes

Compared to the thousands of houses going up in other parts of the world, Habitat house numbers for the Europe/CIS area don’t readily portray the significant accomplishment that has been realized there. Finding land on which to build is difficult, and affording it is even harder, says Ian Walkden, HFHI’s area director for the region. Worse, oppressive memories die hard and volunteers are wary of an organization that claims there is no “catch,” while resources are stretched thin in countries still disoriented from the collapse of communism’s social services.

Challenges Faced:

• Land cost: Europe has some of the highest land costs in the world.
• Government regulations: Strict building codes and tax policies that make it more difficult to deduct charitable donations from their taxable income.
  
  

Goals for the Future:

• Continue Northern Ireland’s integrated housing project between Protestants and Catholics.
• Further develop affiliates in Kyrgyzstan, Romania and Poland.
• Increase U.S. church partnerships with affiliates in Northern Ireland, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.
  
  

A Call for Prayer:

• Pray for inexpensive or donated land suitable for building.
• Pray for a smooth transition as the Europe/CIS department prepares to move to Budapest, Hungary.
• Pray for the success of a partnership with a Roma (gypsy) community in Slovakia.
  
  

--Rebekah Graydon





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