Habitat For Humanity Leeward Oahu

Habitat for Humanity Leeward Oahu

Habitat for Humanity Leeward Oahu is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that builds simple, decent, affordable homes in partnership with very low-income families. It is our mission to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness in Leeward Oahu.

By using a self-help housing method along with the help of thousands of volunteers, Leeward Habitat is a solution to the housing crisis we are facing on O'ahu. Habitat for Humanity is also the only organization that brings homeownership to the lowest income families, those that make 50% or less than the median area income.

Leeward Habitat Executive Director attends Global Village trip to Honduras

Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Leeward Oahu, Susan Hughes, was a part of a select group to attend the Global Village and Advocacy Trip to Honduras in May 2009. This group of Habitat affiliate leaders, volunteers, and Habitat for Humanity International staff, came together to stress the importance of Secure Tenure rights to local Honduras officials and to come back and tell about their experiences. Security of tenure is the ability to live free from the fear of eviction. Without the security of tenure, families have no legal documentation of their land titles.

"We take it for granted that everyone in the United States is able to identify who owns which land," said Hughes. "Over 70% of the population in Honduras does not have legal documentation of their land and are subject to eviction. We spoke with community members who had been forced off their land by the police. It makes you want to go out and advocate for their secure tenure rights. I recommend that everyone take a Global Village trip so that you can see first hand how Habitat is working to eliminate poverty housing throughout the world."

In addition to the Global Village trip and riding out a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Honduras, Hughes also traveled to Habitat on the Hill conference in D.C. hosted by Habitat for Humanity International's Government Relations and Advocacy team. During this portion of her trip, she was able to meet Habitat International's CEO Jonathan Reckford, receive expert training in advocacy, network and share best practices with participants from around the country, and get our priorities heard by key legislators.

Please view a presentation of our trip at: http://www.ezramillstein.com/content/popup/Honduras_Multimedia/index.html

Photos courtesy of Ezra Millstein.

ABILITY Awareness at the Build Site

Habitat for Humanity Leeward Oahu hosted ABILITY Awareness and several volunteers with disabilities on May 2nd to help build a Habitat home in Waianae. Leeward Habitat staff and volunteers also received training from ABILITY Awareness to help make the build sites accessible to all volunteers.

ABILITY Awareness reaches out to volunteers with health conditions and disabilities to help build the homes, demonstrating to the community their skills, talents and potential as volunteers and employees. These builds have engaged thousands of volunteers, lead to employment opportunities, and ignited an enthusiasm in a volunteer pool who is generally expected to be the recipient of charity, and not the giver.

Click here to see more photo's of the build day.

Thank you once again to Trinity Western University!

This marks the third group from Trinity University to travel to our affiliate from British Columbia to help with our build projects! This trip was very productive and the groups accomplished so much. The group worked to finish the exterior painting, interior doors and drywall were hung, and the porch railings and back steps were built. Site supervisor Dave Luehring wrote "it was a joy to see TWU folk grow from individuals to a cohesive group, united in purpose."

Many thanks to Trinity Western University students and of course to job foreman Dale. To see pictures of their build, please click here.

WANTED!
Site Supervisors for Leeward Habitat's future build projects. If you are interested, please call the office at 808-696-7882 or complete the Skilled Worker Form and send it to the Leeward Habitat office.