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Organisation Name Habitat for Humanity Australia
Url http://www.habitat.org.au
Description

Habitat builds homes in partnership with low income families at no interest. Home owners must contribute 500 hours of labour 'sweat equity' into the building of the home. Houses are built with donated materials by volunteer labour under trained supervision.

Habitat for Humanity Australia
Enables purchase an internal door for a home for a family in need.
Statistics Almost half a million people are on public housing waiting lists around the country and over 150,000 people live permanently in caravan parks.
News Habitat for Humanity Partner Family – The Cooper Family “I prayed and prayed that something would happen to point me in the right direction to find help for our family”, Virginia Walters said through her tears. Virginia was recounting how she was feeling prior to becoming a recipient of Habitat for Humanity Australia’s housing program. Virginia (34), Jamie (38), Anna (14), Afram (10), Alexandra (5), and Michael (3½), live at Lalor Park in Western Sydney, in rented public housing. Four young children are a strain on any parent. However Virginia and Jamie are stretched to their limit financially, physically and emotionally. Their youngest, Michael, has been severely disabled from an early age, requiring round the clock care. He suffers from multiple health problems including Cerebral Palsy, and serious eye problems, sufficient that he has been declared legally blind. Virginia is a 24 hour carer and Jamie is a Sterilization Technician at the Royal North Shore Hospital. The shiftwork allows support for the necessary trips for treatment for Michael and to help out with the other children, especially homework. Their modest 3 bedroom house is inadequate for their needs: Michael’s condition requires him to be in a special chair on wheels, this effectively confines him to the tiny living room as the chair cannot fit through the doorways; there is insufficient space for all the family plus Michael’s chair and walker without someone tripping over things; Michael’s bed has been squeezed into his parent’s bedroom; Anna has her own room and the two middle children share another; the bathroom has no special equipment for a handicapped child; the eating area is too small for all of the family to eat together. Virginia and Jamie have feared for some time now that they would not be able to care for Michael in the years ahead. They are finding it harder and harder to cope with the day to day situation. They know that as he grows, without a home with special modifications and equipment, they might not be able to continue to care for him without detrimental effect on their own health. They heard about the Habitat program through a chance meeting with another Habitat recipient. Support was sought from their families and friends, before making an application for a house. This was to ensure that they could meet the required 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’, to which each applicant has to agree in contribution to the building of the houses. In other words they need to find carers for Michael and the other children while they worked on the new home. A new house of their own will provide a future full of promise for all members of the family. The house is essentially an open plan design which will allow Michael to use a walker and move around the living rooms and share in the day to day family life. Special equipment will be installed in the bathroom to enable easier access for bathing Michael. Ramps will be fitted to the front and back of the house for wheel chair use. Afram is thrilled to be getting his own room as I’m sure are Virginia and Jamie. The family was chosen according to their needs, their ability to repay the loan and their willingness to work in partnership with Habitat. The Habitat house at St Helens Park, in South Western Sydney, will provide an environment for the family that will change their lives forever. “There is light at the end of the tunnel” say Virginia and Jamie “and the perspective of the whole family has changed, we are all more positive about everything”. © Diana Logan 2006

Contact Name Shauna Wood
Contact Email swood@habitat.org.au
Contact Phone 02 9635 0199
Contact Fax 02 9635 0299
Last Updated 2006-09-06
Copyright 2005 CAF