City Limits (continued)

Polish Renovation Inspires New Pride
Opportunities for individuals to band together for greater influence are another selling point for urban areas. Warsaw, Poland, experienced significant destruction during World War II, and the city's population declined sharply. After the liberation in 1945, however, survivors quickly began to rebuild, and a decade of urban building began.

Soon after the war, 23 families in Warsaw came together and pooled their resources, which at the time consisted mostly of their limited incomes, some mismatched bricks and a desperate desire for a place to live. They built a five-story apartment building and each contributed what they could to an ongoing renovation fund.

By 2005, the building's repair needs had far exceeded their funds or construction experience, but their willingness to work attracted the attention of Habitat for Humanity Poland. Rather than break up the community and forfeit the existing structure, Habitat proposed a pilot renovation program: The families would stay in the homes they had built, but Habitat would help with renovations and allow the families several years to pay off the repair loans, interest-free.

The first stage of renovations began in December 2005 with a new staircase and windows, and the second stage began in April 2006 with repairs to the façade, roof and heating system. The help has vastly improved the living conditions and morale of the families in the buildinone homeowner shared, "Now inhabitants from other tenements are coming to see our beautiful house. And we are so proud!"--but the project spread hope even further through a partnership between Habitat and the MONAR Association, a Polish nonprofit organization that helps people struggling with homelessness and drug and alcohol addictions. Five homeless men volunteered with the renovation project to receive job training and rejoin society.

Habitat's niche in providing affordable housing is becoming more essential as Poland's cities grow. "The lack of homes is especially severe in big cities, and in Warsaw the most," says Dorota Binkiewicz, Habitat for Humanity Poland's public relations manager. "Thousands of migrants are coming to the capital every year for education, jobs and a better life. One of the biggest problems they have to face is finding a place to live. Renting--even the smallest flat--gobbles up most of the income. ... Most of the apartments are now being bought by foreign investors--it is considered a good investment especially in the context that Poland is going to be the host of the European Football Championship in 2012. The result is that 'normal' families can't even dream about having their own place."

The housing situation in Warsaw is not uncommon in urban areas throughout the region. The problem is not just a shortage of housing units; many of the apartments and houses that do exist are substandard.

"There is a quantitative need for housing and a qualitative need for improved housing," says Robin Black, construction manager in Habitat's Europe/Central Asia office. "We must re-evaluate what poverty housing is and determine what poor quality homes do to the health, safety and security of families."

Technology Shortens Building Time in the Philippines
Half a world away, low-income urban families in the Philippines have encountered one of the trademark challenges of urbanization. Land--specifically, land that is close to employment opportunities and transportation networks, environmentally safe and unclaimed--is rare enough to be financially out of reach for people with the unpredictable income common among urban migrants.

Habitat for Humanity Philippines has adopted a flexible approach to building on expensive, hard-to-come-by urban lots: If you can't afford to build out, you have to build up. In March, Habitat completed two 24-unit multi-story buildings in Taguig City, a node of some 530,000 within the larger metro Manila area. Another four medium-rise buildings with a capacity of 48 families total are under construction. With an estimated housing shortage of 30,000 units in their area, Taguig City's residents have jumped at the chance to build and purchase the Habitat homes. The Rotaryville Family Townhomes represent HFH Philippines' second medium-rise building project, the first one situated in Pinagsama Village, also in Taguig. This area also holds Habitat's Building and Resource Center.

"Most no-income or low-income families live in shanties--makeshift houses made of scrap metal and plywood with no water or electric facilities," says Kristine Gonzalez, HFH Philippines' communications officer. "Some are situated on top of garbage sites or sitting on stilts in dirty, polluted rivers. Habitat is an attractive option for them because they finally have a chance of making their dream come true--to have a home they can call their very own."

Putting Down Roots in Jordan
Hussein Eid Suliman Hamdan's story demonstrates the perils of unplanned urbanization. A Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship, Hussein lived in the Baqa'a refugee camp outside Amman for 40 years. The Baqa'a is the largest of Jordan's refugee camps, originally established in 1968 for 26,000 refugees of the Arab-Israeli war. What was intended to be a temporary solution has become a de-facto permanent home for nearly 90,000 people. Within the camp, unemployment is rampant, facilities are strained and discontent is pervasive.

Four years ago, Hussein and his wife, Kamleh, decided it was time to get out of the camp and even sold Kamleh's dowry--a significant sacrifice in her culture. They borrowed more money and bought a plot of land to share with Kamleh's brother. But despite Hussein's steady employment as a butcher, he struggled to earn enough both to feed his family and to pay rent on their unstable house in the camp, leaving nothing to buy new materials.

Meanwhile, Hussein's boss, Kafa Samawi, found out about Habitat's housing program and, unbeknownst to Hussein, met with Habitat staff members to provide the money to buy the first materials for Hussein's new house. Throughout the summer, Hussein labored at the build site on his afternoons off, motivated by a future in which his house payment will save the family enough money to continue his children's education.

"The house payments are half of our current rent, and we will own the home in the end," Hussein says. "Other, better rentals are much too expensive to afford. Habitat was our only option."

An Opportunity Wrapped in Challenges
Hussein's youngest child, a son named Billel, is nearly 2 years old and probably won't remember ever living in the refugee camp. His toddler and childhood years will be spent kicking a soccer ball, playing with his siblings and waiting for the day when he, too, can go to school. In fact, from Billel's perspective, there are many things to wait for. But from his parents' point of view, one of the things they have waited for the longest--a home of their own--is a dream fulfilled.

The obstacles faced by urban migrants are myriad, but the opportunities for a better life are proving to be an irresistible magnet for millions of people. Simple logic indicates that if most of a country's residents live in cities, the quality of life for those people will depend on the quality of their cities. The potential to lift millions of families out of poverty is compelling.

"Cities make countries rich," says Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, executive director of the United Nations Center for Human Settlements. "Countries that are highly urbanized have higher incomes, more stable economies, stronger institutions. ... We need to look at ways of making our cities inclusive places able to provide for all. Instead of building fortresses, we need to build more bridges."

Bridges, yes--and houses.

Additional reporting by Dorota Binkiewicz, Jenny Ernst, Kristine Gonzalez, Steve Little, Shawn Reeves and Diana Rodriguez