Habitat for Humanity homes transform lives
New research shows that affordable Habitat for Humanity home ownership contributes to families becoming healthier and happier, and enjoying improvements in their children's well-being and school performance.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) led and funded the research, and released it at the beginning of June. For the study, 326 Canadian families who have received their Habitat homes since 2000 were surveyed on their health, social and financial dynamics.
Eighty-six per cent reported being happier since moving into their Habitat home and 89 per cent said their family life had improved.
Mark Rodgers, chief operating officer at Habitat for Humanity Canada, says the research is important because every charity needs to be able to tangibly measure the end result of its programs.
"I'm very excited that our program continues over the years to have increasing impact on the lives of families," Rodgers says. "We're helping more families, and we're doing so in ways that truly make their lives better."
The CMHC report also found that 70 per cent of homebuyers reported improved health, including reduced colds and flu, allergies, asthma symptoms and stress. Thirty-one per cent reported less frequent visits to the doctor and roughly 25 per cent said they missed fewer days of work due to illness.
More than half of respondents reported they were better off financially now than before they moved into their Habitat home. Children's participation in extracurricular activities also increased, and 65 per cent reported their children's confidence had improved.
Those sorts of results are what Habitat is about, Rodgers says.
"At the end of the day, we're not just about building houses. We're about transforming the lives of families."
Habitat's model provides "a hand up, not a handout," with low-income families paying the full fair market value of their home through a no-interest, no down payment mortgage that is geared to their income.
Since it was formed in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada has grown to 69 affiliates across the country. The organization has enabled 2,200 low- and moderate-income families to purchase a home. Over 1,400 of these families have purchased their homes since 2000.
Rodgers says Habitat is on track to help approximately 300 families in 2013.
"We are foreseeing this year as our highest level of build activity ever," he says.
In addition to its work in Canada, Habitat sends volunteers to developing countries to help with international build projects through a program called Global Village. This year, Habitat anticipates sending approximately 1,500 volunteers to help 600 families.
And earlier this year, Terry Petkau, director of Habitat's building service, organized Hammer of Hope 2013, an annual bicycle trip he undertakes to raise funds for Habitat.
Petkau and Habitat volunteer Shaman Clews started in Port Hope, Ontario and cycled 500 kilometres in five days to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, raising $13,400 in the process.
"It's really quite overwhelming," says Petkau, who planned the first Hammer of Hope ride in 2010 as a one-off event, but has kept it going each spring.
"I had no concept of what success this could have and it just continues to grow. I feel really privileged to be able to do this every year."
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