Bangkok--Oct 4--UNISBKK
Housing crisis not just caused by natural disasters New Homes Dedicated for Six Families in Harlem
Today, civic leaders from Habitat for Humanity, The Earth Institute at Columbia University, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the Rockefeller Foundation interfaith leaders, and numerous UN delegates are highlighting the critical need for better living conditions for the urban poor in New York City, in the United States as part of the global observances of World Habitat Day.
Tens of thousands of New York City families live in overcrowded, unsafe or unhealthy homes*, while one in three urban dwellers around the world live in dire conditions: unsafe and insecure housing, poor or no access to clean drinking water, cramped and overcrowded spaces, and non-existent sanitary facilities.**
"Despite the fact that the majority of the world's population will live in cities and that the fastest growth will be in the poorest countries, addressing the problems of urban poverty in a systematic way has been a low priority. We all have an important stake in developing sustainable housing solutions because it's one of the first steps in creating peace and prosperity for everyone who lives in cities," said Elliott Sclar, Director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development at the Earth Institute, Columbia University.
Providing decent, affordable housing for the poor has been a recent focus
in the United States and the need for New Yorkers is no exception.
According to Habitat for Humanity-NYC and HousingFirst! one in four New
York renters pays more than 50 percent of their household income in rent and utilities. Of those who pay more than half, 90 percent are low-income and 62 percent fall below the poverty line. Because of the severe housing shortage and skyrocketing rents, many families are forced to live in poor conditions that are structurally unsafe, overcrowded, infested with rodents and rats, and with little or no access to heat. The unhealthy environment has also contributed to some of the highest rates of respiratory disease in the country.
"The renovation is part of Habitat-NYC's "Housing Covenant" campaign,
calling on all New Yorkers to unite and meet this housing challenge in the city," said Roland Lewis, Executive Director of Habitat-NYC. "The homes we build are part of the solution, not the solution. For every one family that we are able to help, there are 10,000 more New York City families that need affordable, decent housing."
All of the apartments in the newly renovated, five-story building are
energy efficient and built with environmentally friendly materials. The new homes will allow families like Judy and Tyrone Wise and their three children to move from a cramped, one-bedroom apartment to a healthy and affordable, three-bedroom apartment with a room for each child.
"The experience of meeting and working with the other parents and the
volunteers committed to helping is such a wonderful thing," says Ms. Wise.
"Owning our own home will be like getting a piece of the apple pie, the
American dream."
"There are millions of families around the world living in substandard
shelters. For these families, the end of a life in poverty begins with a safe, decent affordable home. That's why we are partnering with organizations like UN-Habitat and the Earth Institute to find practical solutions to poverty and substandard housing worldwide," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International.
To spotlight the local and global need for housing and to commemorate World Habitat Day, the leaders and UN delegates will gather in Harlem to dedicate
six new Habitat for Humanity homes for six different families and at Columbia University to discuss the issue. UN delegates include those from Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Ethiopia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Mexico, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
"The number of people around the world who live in appalling, unacceptable conditions continues to skyrocket. Action is needed now more than ever.
Leaders in the public and private sector must join forces with civil
representatives and the philanthropic community to find solutions to the world's urgent housing crisis that are long-lasting, tangible, and meaningful," said Dr. Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation.
From New Delhi to New Orleans to New York City, World Habitat Day is a
UN-designated day to recognize the basic human right to adequate shelter and to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of human habitat. This event is the official U.S. observance and part of the larger, global effort to improve the lives of at least 100 million urban dwellers by 2020. Achieving this worldwide challenge is one of the Millennium Development Goals, which were agreed upon by world leaders in 2000.
"The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October each year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of human settlements, especially
the living conditions of the urban poor and their right to adequate housing," said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, the UN agency responsible for shelter. "We must understand that there will always be a continual flow of poor people into urban areas. Their considerable contribution to the economy is rarely matched by their access to affordable housing. There isan urgent need for a substantial increase in pro-poor investment in shelter and basic services."
According to Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at
Columbia University and Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals, "Nearly one billion people live in urban slums, and that number will increase dramatically in the next three decades, as low- and middle-income urban areas will account for nearly all population growth. The Millennium Development Goals stress the imperative and urgent need to address the sanitation, water, and health needs of slum dwellers. Thankfully, we have the resources and knowledge to protect 100 million urban dwellers in the next fifteen years, but we need concerted efforts to mobilize those resources, make the proper investments and governance improvements, accelerate community development activities, and grant the legal protections that slum dwellers deserve."
Figures from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
indicate a growing global crisis. By 2030, almost 1.7 billion of the approximately 3.9 billion urban dwellers in low- and middle-income countries will be living in slums. And by 2020, about 570 million people will need alternative housing to avoid living in slum conditions.
Press contact:
Anne Glauber Christie Ly
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