HABITAT FACTS:
- Habitat began working in Haiti in 1984.
- Individuals served in FY2022 – 10,120
- Through new construction – 60
- Through repairs – 60
- Through market development – 10,000
- Volunteers engaged in FY2022 – 70
COUNTRY FACTS:
Capital city -- Port-au-Prince
Population -- 11.4 million
Life expectancy – 64 years
Unemployment rate – 15%
Below poverty line – 60%
The housing need in Haiti
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Americas. According to the World Bank, more than half of its population lives in poverty, and approximately 24% is in extreme poverty. Political instability, food shortages, unemployment, a lack of basic infrastructure, and disasters have kept most Haitians trapped in a cycle of poverty for generations.
In the last decade, the need for housing has increased dramatically every year. The 2010 earthquake destroyed the homes of 1.5 million people. In 2016, another 140,000 were left without shelter after Hurricane Matthew hit. More recently, in August 2021, an earthquake destroyed or damaged more than 130,000 homes.
How Habitat addresses the need
Disaster response
On August 14, 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti’s southwestern peninsula causing significant damage in the region, including the cities of Les Cayes, Jérémie, and Anse-à-Veaux. Nearly 53,000 homes were destroyed, and another 77,000 houses were severely damaged, according to Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency. Immediately after the earthquake, we deployed a team to assess the shelter needs in the impacted area.
In the early recovery and reconstruction phases, we coordinated with the authorities to distribute hygiene kits containing soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, face masks, towels, and other hygiene items. In collaboration with ShelterBox and Start Fund, we provided more than 2,500 emergency kits to affected families. The kits included tarpaulins, tools and fixings, thermal blankets, solar lights, kitchen sets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and water carriers. In total, Habitat supported more than 15,000 people with hygiene and emergency kits as part of its work in response to the devastating earthquake. In addition, we retrofitted 102 homes and built 61 new houses since the earthquake.
Land tenure
Major barriers to land tenure in Haiti include a lack of official land documentation, low exchange value of lands, and a lack of an efficient land information system. In early 2019, Habitat Haiti launched a program in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development to help households in three municipalities prove tenure security and increase the number of parcels registered in the land administration systems.
Housing solutions for seniors
In Haiti, older people are vulnerable to poverty, homelessness, and diseases due to a lack of governmental and societal support. Habitat Haiti is working in low-income, rural communities in the southwest to provide older people with access to safe, decent, and affordable housing with latrines and water collection tanks. In 2021, Habitat constructed 15 homes with older people, and another 15 homes in 2022.
What you can do
DONATE
Please visit habitat.org/donate and select “Designate your donation” to donate to Habitat Haiti.
VOLUNTEER
The Global Village program has resumed builds in select locations in the Latin America and Caribbean region. Please visit habitat.org/gv for more information and updates.
TITHE
Habitat affiliates in the U.S. support the international work through an annual tithe. For additional information, email [email protected] or contact your local Habitat organization.
CONTACT
Habitat for Humanity Haiti, #106, Corner of Rue Clerveaux and Louverture Pétion-Ville, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Phone: +509 3701-3262 Email: [email protected] Website: habitathaiti.org
Facebook: HabitatHaiti X: HabitatHaiti Instagram: HabitatHaiti
