Charity raises the roof for World Habitat Day

Home owners, staff and volunteers from a Liverpool housing charity will be raising the roof on Saturday, October 3rd, in anticipation of World Habitat Day.

Those involved in Liverpool Habitat for Humanity’s ground breaking venture to build 32 low-cost homes in Granby-Toxteth have every reason to celebrate this weekend – it marks the official opening of their first fully furnished show home and comes shortly after two more home partners have taken ownership of their homes in Kingsley Road.

Van Garber, executive director of Liverpool HFH, says: “Every year, the United Nations designates the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

“World Habitat Day also presents us with a timely opportunity to remind everyone what Liverpool Habitat for Humanity is all about – helping low income families who couldn’t normally afford to own a home of their own to get onto the property ladder, creating new communities, improving the urban environment and helping volunteers from all over the world to work together and learn new skills.”

Activities in Liverpool for World Habitat Day will include an ‘open house’ event in the new show home, with the doors thrown open from 10am to 4pm; fun and games for everyone with the chance to win prizes while helping the charity raise much-needed funds; and a BBQ from 1pm for home partners, volunteers, staff, supporters, members of the local community and anyone interested in discovering what this unique organisation is all about.

The Liverpool charity is affiliated to but not funded by Habitat for Humanity International, a non-profit making, inter-denominational charity dedicated to eliminating poverty housing and homelessness worldwide. To date, the global organisation has built over 300,000 homes in 92 countries, providing more than 1.5 million people with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

The Liverpool arm is building 32 homes in Granby-Toxteth, one of the most diverse communities in the country with over 54 nationalities and at least seven major religions represented.

The houses are built through volunteer labour and donations of land, material and money. Each home partner family is required to contribute a minimum of 500 hours of their own labour - called “sweat equity” - into the building process. This fosters community development, increases the pride of ownership and reduces the cost of labour; so making the homes more affordable to families on low incomes.

In exchange, LHFH offers £10,000 towards the deposit required to obtain a mortgage. The houses are sold to the families on a shared equity basis with a minimum home owner contribution of £50,000 to a maximum of a 70% share in the first instance. After one year, home owners can gradually increase their ownership to 100%.

Van adds: “We’ll have someone available all day on Saturday to explain all about home partnering to anyone interested in owning one of the Habitat homes and will be able to process applications on the day. We’d also love to meet potential volunteers who are interesting in developing new skills while helping to create this new and exciting community.”

Go along to the Liverpool Habitat for Humanity site on Kingsley Road (access from Alt Street) this Saturday to see the show home and find out more. Alternatively visit liverpoolhfh.co.uk for more information.

For more on World Habitat Day go to unhabitat.org.