Sitting here in Quito at Habitat III it is hard not to be amazed—amazed at the work that is being done and the staggering size of need that still needs to be addressed. Habitat III is about commitments and action.
In recent days and weeks, a wave of closures, cancellations and postponements has unfurled as the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged. Those decisions — taken individually, totaled in the aggregate — have been stunning acts of solidarity, expressions of concern and collective responsibility for the health and well-being of our communities and our neighbors.
More than 500 people from at least 25 countries in Africa came together in person and remotely today in Kenya’s capital for Habitat for Humanity’s first-ever Africa Housing Forum. Attendees focused on the urgent need for sustainable and innovative solutions that don’t leave vulnerable groups behind during the forum, which runs through Saturday.
In Mexico, 53.3 million people do not have the financial means to buy or build decent housing, despite the right to housing being enshrined in the constitution. Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter and Holcim have announced a new partnership to provide low-income families with better access to affordable housing products, services and financing. The project will be implemented in Veracruz state, where a quarter of families lack adequate housing.
Habitat for Humanity International and Hilti Foundation have signed a renewed partnership. They want to improve access to housing products and finances in India, Kenya, Philippines and Peru.
In Zambia, many families are challenged every day to survive. Mathabo Makuta, national director of Habitat for Humanity Zambia, discusses problems with access to clean water and water borne diseases.