Habitat ECA office to relocate

BUDAPEST (May 4, 2007) – Habitat for Humanity’s Europe and Central Asia (ECA) area office will relocate to Bratislava, Slovakia, beginning early this summer, leaving its current location in Budapest. The move is expected to be complete by September 2007.

The HFH ECA office opened up in Budapest in 2001, where it oversees and supports the operations of 20 Habitat for Humanity national organizations throughout the region, from Ireland to Kyrgyzstan. HFH Hungary, also based in Budapest, will not be affected by the area office’s move and will continue to serve families in need throughout the country.

The decision to relocate the area office was made in part due to high taxes on expatriates’ salaries; money that could be more appropriately spent on supporting Habitat projects in Europe and Central Asia. HFH ECA currently has 31 staff, 29 of whom are based in the Budapest office. Almost two-thirds of the ECA staff is from outside Hungary.

“HFH ECA has benefited from the skilled and dedicated local and international staff that has contributed to the mission of the organization for the past six years,” said Don Haszczyn, ECA area vice president for Habitat for Humanity. “The work we have accomplished while operating out of Budapest has helped thousands more families in the region move into simple, decent and affordable homes. We are grateful for the support we have received here and look forward to continued success in our mission in our new location.”

More specifics on the location of the new office will be forthcoming.

About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a nondenominational Christian charity dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. It has built more than 200,000 houses; more than one million people are living in Habitat homes they helped build and own through low-cost, no-profit mortgages. We have positively affected lives in nearly 100 countries around the globe.

For more information, please contact
Dominique Schärer, dscharer@habitat.org, +361-411 21 70