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Global Housing Foundation
The Global Housing Foundation working to help the world's homeless!
A joint FIABCI and UN initiative, this non-profit organization launched in 1999 seeks to house the homeless around the globe by combining private- and public-sector resources.
The Global Housing Foundation - providing more than just a roof
Current Projects
- 50 houses in Managua Nicaragua were completed by December 2002
- 50 houses were contemplated for Honduras by December 2003
- Guyana : a joint housing project with the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council
Increasingly desperate global circumstances
The last half-century has seen massive population shifts, with over 3 million men, women and children moving from rural to urban areas. Over 40% of city inhabitants in developing countries live in slums, shanties, or simply on the streets. Living in desperation, the future of these people depends on joint public- and private-sector initiatives.
Urgent need for low-cost sustainable housing
The Foundation, chaired by FIABCI member Ren Frank, exists to raise funds for the construction of low-cost sustainable housing for people in absolute and overall poverty, principally in developing countries.
The Foundation seeks to improve inner-city slums and squatter settlements and ensure the continuity of future construction, with each new home carrying a security of tenure and title deed for the beneficiary. A win-win environment is created whereby new owners thus enjoy private property rights and the real estate industry can demonstrate its social responsibility to the poorest of the poor.
Moving towards democracy
Constructing decent housing is a major step towards participatory democracy for developing countries and their inhabitants. Previously marginalized people can build tangible and durable ties to mainstream society, resulting in a measurable decrease in rates of absolute poverty.
The Foundation acts as a catalyst for local authorities to work with the private sector in the public interest, and help the developing country's integration into formal market structures.
Using Local Resources
By engaging cooperation from local authorities, the Global Housing Foundation assists projects recommended by the UNCHS and UNDP. These housing projects, which involve direct participation from the beneficiaries themselves, implement and enforce minimum local housing standards.
This also stimulates the country's socio-economic development by using local materials and labour and technology appropriate to the local environment. All GHF homes are supplied directly with running water and electricity, and the new owners have a clear title to a minimum of 160m2 of land.
To Make a Donation
To make a donation, or for more information, please contact :
The Global Housing Foundation
530 Park Avenue, Suite 17D
New York, NY 10021
USA
Tel. : +1 212 355 0136
Fax : +1 212 752 1810
globalhousingfnd@aol.com
www.globalhousingfoundation.org
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