Habitat for Humanity (Speech)
Uploaded by irish_hoosier on Oct 05, 2005
An estimated 5.1 million American households face worst-case housing needs, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Receiving little or no government housing assistance, these families are unable to find a decent place to live at a price they can afford to pay. They are also forced to pay more than half their income for housing, endure overcrowded conditions and live in houses with severe physical deficiencies, and that’s just in the U.S.; worldwide more than 2 billion people live in poverty housing. While the number of families in poverty is growing, the number of affordable rental units is shrinking, and most families who qualify for government housing assistance aren't receiving any aid. Working in partnership with low-income families to build decent homes they can afford to buy, Habitat for Humanity helps to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. By the end of 2005, more than 1 million people worldwide will live in decent, affordable Habitat for Humanity houses.
I’ve been researching HFH for about 2 months now because I am planning to join during the summer and I’ve realized that the need for decent, affordable housing is great and HFH helps fill that need. Today I’m going to tell you why HFH is needed, how HFH helps, why you should get involved and what you can do to help. First I’ll tell you why it’s needed.
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MORE THAN 11 MILLION AMERICANS FACE WORST-CASE NEEDS
According to a report prepared for Congress in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 5.1 million American households face "worst-case housing needs." These families:
• are renters receiving no government assistance;
• make less than 50 percent of the area median income;
• pay more than 50 percent of their income for rent and utilities and/or live in housing with severe physical deficiencies;
• include some 3.6 million children, 1.6 million elderly adults and 1.3 million disabled adults.
Worldwide, the need is even greater. Some 2 billion people worldwide live in poverty housing. More than 1 billion live in urban slums, and that figure is expected to double by 2030. Many of these people earn less than US$2 per day.
Housing problems have far-reaching consequences. The high cost of housing leaves low-income families little money for other basic necessities like food, clothing or health care. Substandard housing can endanger the health and safety of its occupants, erode their...