This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
The United Nations estimates that more than one-thousand-millionpeople live in poor housing conditions. And that estimate is justfor cities. In developing nations, that is about one out of fourfamilies.
Habitat for Humanity is a group that is working to help changethe situation. Millard and Linda Fuller, two Christian religious aidworkers, started this organization in nineteen-seventy-six. Habitatfor Humanity says it has built or improved more thanone-hundred-fifty-thousand homes in eighty-seven countries.
People give their time and skills to build homes. The group alsoaccepts gifts of money and materials. Habitat for Humanity builds orimproves homes for specially chosen “partner” families. Each partnerfamily not only pays for its home, but also has to help build it.
Habitat for Humanity does not makea profit when it sells a new home to a partner family. It says allmonthly payments from the homeowner are used to finance otherprojects. Homes are also paid for with no-interest loans that canlast from seven to thirty years.
Habitat for Humanity is based in the southern American state ofGeorgia. Among its best known supporters are a famous local couple:former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn. The group alsohas affiliate offices around the world. These offices are run bylocal groups. Habitat says there are more than two-thousand officesin eighty-seven countries and all fifty states.
Each affiliate plans and organizes the building of Habitat homesin their community. They also raise money for projects and choosepartner families. Affiliate offices in the United States give tenpercent of their budgets to headquarters. This money is used to payfor products in other countries. In two-thousand-one, Habitat forHumanity says, its affiliates gave more then nine-million dollars tosupport the international work.
Families that wish to become partners go to their nearestaffiliate and are chosen based on their level of need. Officialsalso consider a family’s willingness to help and its ability torepay a home loan. Habitat for Humanity says race and religion arenot considered when choosing a partner family.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss.