During the fiscal year 2021 (FY21), we asked Habitat for Humanity homeowner children from around the world to draw how they see their homes. We were amazed at their answers. They reminded us that a house is simply a place to love and be loved.
Message from the
Area Vice-President
Resilience. This word defined Habitat for Humanity in 2021. During this year, as an organization and indeed on a personal level, we had to be more resilient than ever.
We understood that the pandemic was taking longer than planned, and, therefore, we had to adjust. Sometimes, these adjustments were challenging, yet we had to move forward to ensure that our organization's mission lasts to benefit more families in need.
At Habitat, we know that the pandemic focused attention on the importance of decent housing, primarily for families who need a safe place to call home to protect themselves from COVID-19. When facing the multiple challenges that the FY21 brought, we innovated, we revised our programs, we partnered with other organizations and were able to impact hundreds of thousands of families.
We adapted projects to implement them according to each country’s healthcare guidelines. As a result, we helped more than 1.4 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean build or improve their homes.
In addition, we benefited more than 4.1 million people with improvements in public housing laws and delivered more than 85,000 hygiene kits, emergency kits, and/or temporary shelters. We also assisted in the emergency following hurricanes ETA and IOTA in Central America. We challenged Haitian university students to develop new building materials with recycled plastic. We held the 4th Housing Forum, this time completely virtual, in which 1,639 people from 40 countries around the world came together to share experiences, lessons learned, and trends and challenges in housing.
Thank you to all donors, partners, volunteers, and collaborators who made it possible. And, of course, thanks to Habitat families, who trust and join our organization to build a better future based on secure, resilient, and sustainable housing. Without all of you, our work would not be possible.
Ernesto Castro García
Ernesto Castro García
Habitat for Humanity, Area Vice-President for Latin America and the Caribbean.
who we are
Habitat Habitat for Humanity is a global, non-profit organization. Since 1976, Habitat has helped low-income families build and improve their homes. We are in more than 70 countries around the world and have helped more than 39 million people in ensuring a safe place to call home.
We share a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
We have many ways to empower families through housing. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we do this through:
- Low-cost housing construction, whether new or existing homes, through affordable mortgages, partial subsidies, or other forms of financing focused on low-income families.
- Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects for families and communities.
- Promotion of innovative housing finance opportunities for families excluded from the formal financial sector.
- Advocacy in housing public policies, aiming at eliminating legal barriers so that households have access to decent, affordable housing.
- Assistance, education and training for vulnerable populations, during and after an emergency, through action and projects in disaster analysis, prevention and response.
Aracely, 14 , Buenos Aires, Argentina
Aracely, 14 , Buenos Aires, Argentina
David, 15 , Nicaragua
David, 15 , Nicaragua
Sherlyn, 9 , Chiapas, México
Sherlyn, 9 , Chiapas, México
Fiscal year 2021 in Latin America and the Caribbean
Argentina
Habitat for Humanity Argentina’s Neighborhood Development Project seeks to strengthen homeowners’ capacities and empowerment through workshops, training, financing, and social and technical coordination. It takes place in the neighborhoods of Los Ceibos (La Matanza) and El Saladero (Bahia Blanca), both in the province of Buenos Aires.
Community leader improves the lives of her neighbors
In El Saladero de Ingeniero White, a neighborhood in Bahia Blanca, lives Silvia, a community leader with a big heart, along with two of her grandchildren. Her desire to finish building her house encouraged her to join Habitat for Humanity Argentina. By the end of 2020, she had completed the last bedroom and expanded her dining area for a merendero (community dining room) to keep her mother’s legacy alive.
At “La Norita,” the name of the merendero, Silvia and other neighbors cook meals for 70 families in the neighborhood. “I wanted my dining room and, at the same time, to help people. I wanted a space where I could cook with others and for others,” said Silvia.
Her help goes beyond feeding 150 neighbors. At the pandemic’s beginning, Silvia participated in the workshops on safe housing, health improvements, and home care that Habitat Argentina offered online. After completing the safe housing workshops, she shared what she had learned with her neighbors.
Today, Silvia not only provides direct help to her neighbors through “La Norita,” but she is also an invaluable person in her neighborhood.
Bolivia
In Bolivia, 44 out of 100 families in rural and peri-urban areas do not have access to safe water, and 57 out of 100 families do not have a decent bathroom. Providing access to safe water for the thousands of families lacking it in the country was a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, Habitat for Humanity Bolivia created the Bolivia with Water campaign, along with partners Water for People and Food for the Hungry.
Brazil
In Brazil, 30 million people do not have access to safe drinking water in their homes, and 47% of the population do not have access to a sewage system. Transforming precarious housing into safer and healthier homes in the middle of a pandemic is an urgent task.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Habitat Brazil has focused a significant part of its work on improving water and sanitation facilities in vulnerable households to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 among the lowest-income population in the country.
El Salvador
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the tropical storms that hit El Salvador in 2020, Habitat El Salvador implemented projects to address the humanitarian emergency through strengthening existing partnerships and developing new ones.
Guatemala
Nearly 70% of households in rural Guatemala still use firewood to cook over an open fire, which causes burns, respiratory illnesses and, in some cases, even blindness.
Habitat Guatemala works to provide improved stoves, latrines and water purification filters to vulnerable families in order to improve their health and quality of life.
A gift for a lifetime
Lorna and her family used to live in their mother-in-law’s house with 11 other relatives. The house was small, and as the family grew, there was less and less space for them to live comfortably. For this reason, Lorna decided to build their own house.
Little by little, the family began purchasing construction materials, but there was not enough money to start building. One day, a little frustrated, Lorna told the situation to her good friend, Rachel.
“Sometime after this conversation, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala staff visited me. It was such a surprise,” said Lorna. Rachel and her family, who live in the U.S., donated money for Lorna to start building her dream: A home of her own.
“I have no words to describe my happiness. I feel very happy to have our house. I am very grateful to God for putting Rachel on our path. Receiving this home is very special. This is a gift for a lifetime, not only for me but also for my children and their future,” said Lorna.
Haiti
In 2016, category 4 Hurricane Matthew hit the Caribbean and the southwestern region of Haiti, causing widespread damage, flooding and displacement. Through its disaster response program, Habitat Haiti has built more than 300 new houses and repaired more than 1,500 houses in affected communities.
It has also strengthened community capacities to identify and reduce their vulnerability to disasters, therefore addressing, improving, and self-managing all residents’ living conditions.
Sustainable and resilient construction
Habitat Haiti partnered with the European Union through the URBAYITI program, which seeks to develop technical skills for solid, sustainable, and resilient construction. The program’s objective is for new housing units in the country to be able to withstand various climate risks that ravage the island every year due to its geographical vulnerability, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and storms.
Habitat partnered with three universities in Haiti for its development: The American University of the Caribbean, the Quisqueya University, and the Faculté des Sciences. Each must develop new construction materials such as beams, blocks, and planks, all based on recycled plastic.
Already 146 young people in the cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie have graduated from the program. One of them is Viscana, 21, who wanted to learn and contribute to eliminating the stigma of women in the construction profession. “It was imperative to me to learn a trade that would allow me to take care of my family and myself. Now I know that, with my skills, I will be an asset for my neighbors and my country,” said Viscana.
Honduras
The ethnic population in Honduras is approximately 9 % of the total population. These families live in poverty and their low income does not allow them to access financing sources to improve their homes.
Habitat Honduras supports Honduran ethnic populations by providing healthier housing through installing floors, roofs, sinks, latrines, eco-stoves and others.
Hope after hurricanes Eta and Iota
In 2020, Hurricane Eta hit Honduras, and only 15 days later, Hurricane Iota did too. Both hurricanes left several devastated areas in the country and impacted more than 3 million people, who were left homeless or with partially damaged homes and without access to clean water.
Given the emergency, Habitat for Humanity Honduras launched a disaster response plan with other partners. First, 6,938 families received water storage backpacks in 52 affected communities.
After this intervention, in partnership with ShelterBox and the San Pedro Sula Rotary Club, Habitat distributed 3,208 emergency shelter kits for families who lost their homes in 23 municipalities. The kits included tarpaulins, mosquito nets, solar lamps, blankets, water filters, a set of pots and pans, and jerrycans to store water.
Mexico
A large number of families in Chiapas, Mexico, lack access to water quality, water quantity, and basic sanitation. For this reason, Habitat Mexico developed a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project in the coast of Chiapas to improve access to affordable water and sanitation solutions at the housing and community infrastructure level, and to promote families’ participation and empowerment.
Nicaragua
More than 50 women who make and sell tortillas in a peri-urban community in Managua partnered with Habitat Nicaragua to change their lives by changing their traditional stoves for eco-stoves. As a result, they eradicated respiratory illnesses caused by smoke, increased their profits, and reduced their firewood consumption while contributing to protecting the environment.
The dream of owning a house
In the Primero de Mayo neighborhood in Estelí, Nicaragua, a humble dwelling stood, made of pieces of wood, cardboard, and iron roofing sheets. This was the home of Claribel, 39, a mother of three children aged 18, 12, and 6.
When she heard about a Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua housing project, Claribel rushed to submit the necessary documents to participate. She was notified about her selection on August 13, 2020. With a heart full of joy, she first thanked God.
“Joyous, I said: Thank you, Lord, for you have given me a great blessing. I now have a decent home to live in with my children. When I got married, my husband and I lived in my mother-in-law's house; we then rented. Later, we bought this land. My husband bought the land in two payments. At the time, we built the shack with pieces of plastic Today, thank God, we have our house and it’s made with cement blocks," said Claribel.
Paraguay
In the metropolitan area of Asuncion, Paraguay, there are at least 405 settlements where more than 38,000 families live. Overcrowding conditions make these communities more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Habitat Paraguay has mobilized and implemented actions to improve sanitation infrastructure, train leaders, serve families in need of housing, and advocate in key public policies.
Safe return to school
Habitat for Humanity Paraguay, in partnership with UNICEF, USAID Paraguay, and Thrivent, worked to provide a safe back to school for 11,340 students from 31 public schools in the cities of Asunción and Luque. The project included improving and building infrastructure and obtaining the supplies needed to ensure the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and health protocols.
Thirty-one schools improved and/or repaired their infrastructure. They also received materials to create awareness and establish hygiene and safety habits such as hand-washing, mask use, and social distancing. Visual signs, such as posters, were put in highly visible and accessible areas to achieve a greater impact.
“In this pandemic, we want people to learn hygiene habits. These facilities help minimize contagion and create awareness. I believe the most important thing for our students to learn from this pandemic is that hand-washing will save our lives. This will benefit the health of our students,” said Rocio, principal of the Emilio Ferreira elementary school, which has more than 400 students.
Dominican Republic
A house is a place for people to feel safe; however, access to a decent, healthy and affordable home remains a challenge for many Dominicans. Therefore, Habitat Dominican Republic, offers prefabricated, innovative and accessible models with cement panels, recycled plastic sheets and ferroconcrete blocks through the “Construyamos Juntos para Familias” (Build Together for Families) project.
Health starts at home
Miriam, 51, lives in the Consuelo municipality, San Pedro de Macoris province, Dominican Republic, with her husband, Carlos, and the youngest of their children, Oscarly. Miriam and her husband started self-building their home. However, they lacked the resources to put in floors (for them, a primary source of disease) and install security fences and bars to protect their house, so they could feel safe.
When Miriam heard about Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic, her life changed as she realized the organization was an ideal partner to finish building her home. “We were able to learn which materials were right for us, and we were always in contact with the engineer. I am very satisfied with the results. My house is more beautiful and safer now,” said Miriam.
“To me, this house represents health for my family and a safe and comfortable place for my child to continue his education,” said Miriam.
Trinidad & Tobago
In September 2017, the hurricane season had not yet begun when heavy rains surprised the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. As a result, many communities in the north and south-west of the country had two days of flooding, which wreaked havoc and damaged thousands of homes.
By the end of 2021, with the support of Proman and Republic Bank Limited, Habitat had repaired more than 60 homes. Habitat also provided training on resilient construction techniques, disaster preparedness, and household hygiene practices to prepare vulnerable communities for future disasters.
Volunteering from home
Our volunteers are Habitat for Humanity’s heart and hands. Nevertheless, health measures affected Habitat’s onsite volunteer program globally during the pandemic, and Paraguay was no exception.
In this context, volunteers joined Habitat Paraguay and turned social distancing into an opportunity for solidarity and creating new links to reach more families. The objective is to pursue an open national strategy for resilience in Paraguayan informal settlements during the pandemic.
Ninety-six volunteers have supported various activities, coordinated and followed-up by community leaders, to prevent and mitigate the virus. “Participating as a volunteer for the Network is a wonderful experience and gives me a sense of personal growth. Through volunteering, I re-connected with those who teach you rare values such as solidarity, community support, empathy, selflessness, and mutual assistance. They confirmed how interdependent we are, no matter where we are,” said Georgina, 31.
More than 1,600 people participated in the 4th Housing Forum
In May 2021, Habitat for Humanity Latin America and the Caribbean held the fourth edition of the Housing Forum, the only multi-stakeholder forum in the region that seeks to reimagine and build a new reality for housing and cities.
For a week, Habitat brought together government authorities, international organizations, local governments, universities, private companies, investors, banks, civil society organizations, community leaders, professionals, and students to share experiences, lessons learned, and trends and challenges in housing and urban habitat.
Some 1,639 people from more than 40 countries joined the event. The event sessions were led by more than 230 speakers. The event demonstrated agreement in trends and needs for advancement in the region.
Urgent need to prioritize housing improvements worldwide
Housing is one of the most determinant factors in health and disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the sensitivity of this cause-and-effect relationship.
At the 4th Housing Forum, Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, spoke on the urgency of making shelter and settlement improvement a priority for pandemic response and recovery actions, highlighting interventions that seek to transform homes that make you sick into homes that make you healthy.
Habitat for Humanity
Latin America and the Caribbean Area Office
San José, Costa Rica
www.habitat.org/lac-en
Phone: +(506) 4102-3359
[email protected]
Built with Shorthand