HABITAT FACTS
Date when Habitat started working in the country
1989
Individuals served in FY18
13,810*
Volunteers hosted in FY18
866
Housing solutions
New, rehab, repairs
* 3,330 served through market development
Habitat for Humanity in Honduras
Habitat for Humanity Honduras is a non-profit organization, nonpolitical, non- governmental, and with its own resources. It was established in 1993. The first homes were built in the village of San Isidro in the municipality of Santa Cruz de Yojoa. The national office is located in San Pedro Sula and has seven regional offices located in San Cruz de Yojoa, San Pedro Sula, Siguatepeque, Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba, Santa Rosa de Copan and Tocoa.
The housing need in Honduras
According to the study “Barriers to access to land for social housing in Honduras” conducted by Habitat for Humanity Honduras in 2016, the housing deficit in the country is 1,138,018 units; of which 435,167 are new homes and 702,851 are in dire need of improvements.
Also, 11.5 percent of the houses don ́t have access to tap water and 24 percent of the houses have dirt floors.
Habitat’s contribution in Honduras
Habitat for Humanity Honduras is focused on the construction and improvement of housing solutions, with a commitment to impacting communities while giving priority to the most vulnerable families in the country in order to improve their quality of life.
Our programs
Constructions interventions
Our housing solutions have met the needs of access to land and adequate housing for low-income Honduran families through loans with affordable payments and terms, which allow them to pay installments of a new home and their land or improve existing homes. In addition, we have worked with families in extreme poverty, who have received support through subsidies, thus improving their quality of life.
The ethnic population of Honduras is about 9 percent. The indigenous families live in extreme poverty circumstances. Their economy doesn’t allow access to funds for production, and even less for housing. Habitat had worked with the different ethnic groups to improve their houses with the support from Habitat afiliates in the United States through tithe giving, and local donors. The ethnic groups impacted so far are Lencas, Misquitos, Chortí, Garifunas, Tolupán, y Pech.
Training and community development
During fiscal year 2018, Habitat Honduras trained people who are part of the families that obtained a housing solution distributed throughout the national territory. These trainings strengthen capacities in topics such as Knowing Habitat and building processes, Financial Education, Healthy Housing, Risk Management and Safety in Construction.
In order to develop transformative and sustainable communities, housing groups were assisted in stimulating lasting change by empowering people, generating links, promoting leadership and continuous work.
Volunteerism
Habitat Honduras is certified to host volunteer home construction teams. These are short trips designed to include a cultural and life- changing experience for the volunteers who meet Honduran families and achieve satisfaction in helping them build a new Habitat house.
Through this program, Habitat Honduras makes an important contribution to the tourism industry, generating revenue by contracting transport services, various hotels, restaurants and visits to tourist sites.
National Build Teams: The national build teams are groups of 10 – 20 people that desire to support a family by helping with the construction of their house. At the corporate level we’ve received employees from companies like Argos, Colgate-Palmolive, Morrisette, Wendy’s, and Cenosa. The teams are accompanied by technical personnel from Habitat Honduras who coordinate and train in the different tasks undertaken at the build site.
National volunteerism for the committees: This is one of the strongest pillars of Habitat Honduras. Volunteers are integrated into various organizational structures, including the National Assembly, National Board, Regional Assemblies, and Regional and Local Committees.
Advocacy
Habitat Honduras, along with civil society and sister organizations, advocates to eliminate the barriers to land access and social housing under a collaborative effort to make the government and municipalities define policies and laws to solve the need of social housing. Currently, a total of 205 policies have been approved out of the 298 municipalities in the country.
In addition, advocacy with the central government continues as part of the Network of Solidarity Housing Development Organizations.
Meet a Habitat family
Rina is Pablo’s grandmother. Both of his parents live in the U. S. and send back money they earn to pay the fee for the house where Pablo currently lives. The decision to leave behind a country and migrate comes with a sacrifice for many Honduran families. With the help of Habitat Honduras, Pablo can have a house, attend a bilingual school, take care of his puppy, and enjoy his childhood.
What can you do?
We build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. You can help us do it with the following actions:
DONATE
www.habitathn.org/solidarizate
VOLUNTEER
Join one of Global Village’s scheduled trips to Honduras or organize your own brigade. For more information go to: http://www.habitat.org/volunteer/travel-and-build/global-village.
HABITAT’S OFFICE
To learn more about Habitat’s programs in Honduras, please contact:
Alberto Benitez
Executive Director
hphalbesa@habitat.hn
José R. Handal B.
Resource Development Manager
jhandal@habitat.hn