Ahead of the 2024 G7 Summit, Habitat for Humanity International released an issue brief, Slum Blind: The overlooked links between climate migration and informal settlements. The brief focuses on the more than 215 million people who could be impacted by climate migration by 2050.
Habitat for Humanity partners with people of all backgrounds year-round to help build decent housing, and our affiliate-run Pride Builds bring together local members of the LGBTQ+ community, allies and homeowners to work side-by-side on the build site.
Habitat for Humanity partners with people of all backgrounds year-round to help build decent housing, and our affiliate-run Pride Builds bring together local members of the LGBTQ+ community, allies and homeowners to work side-by-side on the build site.
Ask your local Habitat if there are Pride Build programs and volunteer events in your area.
Through these events, we strive to not only celebrate our LGBTQ+ homeowners, volunteers and community members, but also to shed light on the decades of systemic LGBTQ+ housing discrimination that have barred families and individuals from homeownership, creating biases and inequities that exist today.
Check out photos below from a Pride Build at Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Jonesboro, Georgia.
The event was a collaboration between the affiliate and Spectrum, an employee resource group at Habitat for Humanity International for LGBTQ+ employees and their allies that aims to raise awareness, promote inclusivity and actively support Habitat’s mission of providing decent housing for everyone.
In a new issue brief, Habitat uncovers a massive and growing blind spot in the discourse around climate change-induced migration and adaptation efforts.
Over the next year, InSinkErator, a Whirlpool Corporation brand, will donate a Badger 1 Model Garbage Disposal for each new Habitat home construction or rehabilitation as well as critical home repair projects including kitchen sink replacements.
Learn more about Habitat’s work in the Asia-Pacific.
Half of the global population living in poverty resides in Asia and the Pacific. To help address these issues, Build Beyond funds locally led initiatives to transform lives through improved housing conditions.
Donated product from Whirlpool Corporation has helped Habitat affiliates build more homes, helping even more families realize their dream of homeownership.
For Habitat for Humanity Pinellas and West Pasco Counties, ordering major home appliances from Whirlpool Corporation through Habitat’s donated product program has had a big impact on building affordable homes. The Florida-based affiliate built 80 Habitat homes last year in partnership with local families.
“One of our future homeowners that we’re partnering with right now, she’s currently paying 60% of her monthly income toward rent,” says Jack Shanks, Habitat Pinellas and West Pasco Counties’ chief program officer. “The monthly mortgage payment on her Habitat home is going to be half of what she’s currently paying. Because of partnerships, especially with Whirlpool, we’re able to make a difference in this.”
Jack explains that many renters have inadequate kitchen appliances, forcing them to spend money eating out. “It creates an added cost burden to those renting if they can’t use the stove, microwave or refrigerator.”
Not only do donated Whirlpool appliances help families save money on food expenses, they also help them save on major home appliance purchases. “Normally when you buy a house, items like a refrigerator aren’t included. And so that would be a major expense for the new homeowner to make their house move-in ready,” says Elaine Mathews, executive director of Greene County Habitat in Georgia. “The fact that we can build a move-in ready house alongside our families is really helpful for them.”
Throughout 25 years of working together, Whirlpool has surpassed more than US$125 million in donated product to Habitat through more than 241,000 major home appliances to over 198,000 families around the world. The donated appliances help affiliates build more Habitat homes.
“Any construction budget line item that can be covered for an affiliate through the donated product and discount programs allows that affiliate to stretch their dollars further,” says Kimberly Merritt, Habitat for Humanity International’s director of donated product. “That means those savings can help to build more homes where families can pay an affordable mortgage, implement more affordable home repairs, and can potentially allow affiliates to add staff to their teams to build capacity to serve more families.”
Donated products from Whirlpool Corporation, like the donated refrigerator and stove in this Habitat Pinellas and West Pasco Counties home, help make Habitat homes more affordable.
Whirlpool Corporation’s donated products have not only helped build more affordable homes, their energy-efficient appliances have helped Habitat homeowners lower their monthly utility costs.
In 2021, Habitat conducted a study to estimate Habitat homeowners’ total energy savings and associated cost-savings resulting from Whirlpool ranges and refrigerators donated between 2018 and 2020. Based on those findings, the study extrapolated that over the duration of the decades-long collaboration the donated appliances generated lifetime energy savings of over 218 million kilowatt-hours and energy bill savings of more than US$24 million across the full network.
“At Whirlpool, we believe that everyone deserves access to safe and energy-efficient appliances because they make a real difference in lowering a family’s energy bills, which provides greater financial stability for their future,” says Deb O’Connor, Whirlpool Corporation’s director of corporate reputation and community relations.
“Our global social responsibility focus is on helping to ensure everyone can have a place to live that’s comfortable and nurturing so that families can really build their best life from inside those four walls, and to help build thriving communities,” Deb continues. “Our vision aligns perfectly with Habitat’s vision which is why this relationship has lasted 25 years and has had a profound impact for more than a million people around the world.”
