OCTOBER 6th 2014

World Habitat Day:  6 Oct 2014

Land:  The Key to Ending Poverty

source:   http://www.habitat-tt.org

Since 1986, when the United Nations established World Habitat Day to reflect on global housing conditions, Habitat for Humanity International has grown from 14 to more than 70 countries, built or repaired nearly 1 million houses and served more than 4 million people. While we celebrate that progress, we also recognize that one in three people in the world still lack adequate housing. Poor housing leads to poor health, poor education, lack of physical security and myriad other challenges. Extensive research supports what we at Habitat for Humanity have seen first-hand:  improving housing breaks the cycle of poverty.

But “improving housing” involves more than building. It requires more than a sturdy roof to protect from rain or walls to shelter from sun and wind. It is more than a door that locks out potential danger or a solid floor to guard against disease. Better housing also requires something even more foundational: land.

A lack of access to land lies at the heart of poverty housing in four major ways:  tenure, gender, slums and disaster resilience. In countries without a strong system of land documentation, hundreds of thousands of people live in fear of being evicted – tossed out of their homes with no legal remedy. Even where there is a system in place, laws and customs often fail to protect women or ensure that women have the education and resources needed to assert their rights. Further, as the world continues to urbanize, affordable space becomes increasingly scarce, forcing many individuals and families in cities to locate in slums. Finally, conflict and natural disasters displace millions of people every year, often leaving them without a clean, decent place to live.

Land issues create formidable obstacles to ending poverty housing.  If we want to see a world without poverty, we must first create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.  That  is why we are grateful for the opportunity on this World Habitat Day to share with you that, in 2015, Habitat for Humanity will launch a global advocacy campaign to address these vital issues surrounding land. Seeing the connection between access to land and economic growth – both for individuals and countries – Habitat for Humanity will promote smart policies addressing land. For example, we will support sufficient legal and regulatory systems to address tenure in the wake of man-made and natural disasters, laws that end gender discrimination in land ownership, and efforts to address corruption around land issues.

Throughout 2015, the campaign will grow to include dozens of countries around the globe, and will provide opportunities for citizens of every nation to be involved. We look forward to removing unnecessary obstacles to adequate housing in the years ahead. And we invite you to join us in creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live.