Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford in attendance to discuss HFHI’s housing microfinance program, sustainable building and assistance for long-term recovery in Haiti

ATLANTA (Sept. 24, 2009) – Habitat for Humanity International’s commitment to long-term hurricane recovery efforts in Haiti was highlighted at the fourth annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York City. Habitat’s sustainable building work and housing microfinance program were also discussed.

Jonathan Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International, attended CGI alongside business leaders, heads of state and other global figures who gathered to seek solutions for the world’s most pressing problems.

CGI’s four areas of focus include education, energy and climate change, global health and poverty alleviation. Habitat for Humanity International’s commitment to hurricane recovery in Haiti was highlighted during the “Developing Human Capital” session of the conference.

Habitat Haiti continues to build and repair housing in Gonaives and Cabaret, where 1,500 Haitian families in extreme poverty have been helped. Priority is being given to those whose homes were damaged or destroyed in 2008 by Fay, Gustav, Hanna or Ike. These hurricanes and tropical storms killed more than 400 people and left approximately 800,000 in dire need of help in Haiti.

In the city of Gonaives, Habitat’s Building and Training Center has been working since 2007 to strengthen the low-income housing sector through vocational training and home improvements for impoverished families. The program is part of a coordinated effort funded primarily by USAID that aims to create employment in vulnerable areas of Haiti, particularly targeting women and youth. Program objectives also included training in construction skills and supporting the creation and strengthening of existing small and micro-construction enterprises.

“A decent place to live is much more than four walls and a roof,” said Reckford. “In Haiti, our Building and Training Center helps families build and repair their homes, while at the same time providing them with valuable construction skills that will help generate income.”

Reckford also announced a commitment to expanding Habitat for Humanity International’s housing microfinance program. Over the next three years Habitat will invest $8 million into its microfinance work that aims to enable incremental building strategies for low-income families. With this funding, Habitat will continue to build upon its 2006 CGI housing microfinance commitment that led to pilots in ten countries that provided housing solutions to nearly 4,000 families.

In addition to housing microfinance, Habitat for Humanity also committed to sustainable building. Over the next five years, Habitat will promote sustainable building activities in its affordable housing work. To do so, Habitat will create community-based, volunteer-driven sustainable building models that will reduce its total energy consumption, minimize the impact of residential sector construction on the environment and increase the economic sustainability of housing for low-income families.

This was Reckford’s fourth visit to CGI, which meets annually in September to coincide with the UN General Assembly. Participation is by invitation only, with the goal of matching people who possess the necessary resources with those who have the most innovative ideas and greatest capacity for implementation.

Participants, who come from a wide variety of professions, cultural and religious backgrounds and geographic regions—and who include media voices, philanthropists, foundation heads, religious leaders, academics and other global citizens—are required to make a commitment to action as part of the meeting.

Thousands serve their communities with Habitat throughout the summer

WASHINGTON (Sept. 15, 2009) – President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama commemorated the Sept. 11 anniversary by volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build site with AmeriCorps members and Habitat of Washington, D.C., staff. It was part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance that President Obama signed into law on Apr. 21, 2009.

The purpose of the day is to encourage Americans and people throughout the world to pledge to do an act of service on Sept.11 each year in honor of victims and those who served after the tragedy.

The National Day of Remembrance wrapped up a nationwide volunteer service initiative called, United We Serve.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of Habitat for Humanity’s efforts around the world, and we are delighted to join other organizations and individuals to help celebrate the contributions they make in so many ways,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “Their commitment to service not only inspires others, but it’s transforming hearts, lives and entire communities—their own as well as those they serve.”

Since the United We Serve launch, volunteers participated in Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge, an alternative school break program that offers youth opportunities to become involved in service to communities. Thousands of volunteers also joined United We Serve through Habitat’s “A Brush with Kindness,” a renovation program focusing on exterior home repair such as painting, landscaping and weatherization and exterior clean-up.

Habitat for Humanity helped more than 21,000 volunteers serve their communities through 335 volunteer projects during United We Serve.

Some Habitat affiliate builds included:

• More than 350 volunteers joined Habitat for Humanity Tucson to raise the walls on 59 homes during their annual Building Freedom Day.

• On June 22, 2009, Habitat for Humanity-New York City and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood helped kick-off United We Serve by helping to build a 41-multi unit building in Brooklyn.

• In St. Paul, Minn., volunteers worked on the 1,000th home repaired through Twin Cities Habitat’s A Brush with Kindness program.

• Thirty Fort Eustis soldiers rolled up their sleeves to help a Norfolk, Va., family through Habitat for Humanity’s A Brush with Kindness program.