More than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Just let that number sink in. According to the United Nations, millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security. This desperately needs to change and the only way to do that is by promoting awareness and letting people know that the problem exists. Hopefully, we're on the right path since the UN has declared the first Monday of every October to be World Habitat Day.


U.S. Housing Facts

• About 95 million people, one third of the nation, have housing problems including a high-cost burden, overcrowding, poor quality shelter and homelessness. (National Low Income Housing Coalition: 2004)
• One in three American households spend more than 30 percent of income on housing, and one in seven spends more than 50 percent. (Joint Center for Housing Studies: 2006)
• The number of low-income families that lack safe and affordable housing is related to the number of children that suffer from asthma, viral infections, anemia, stunted growth and other health problems. About 21,000 children have stunted growth attributable to the lack of stable housing; 10,000 children between the ages of 4 and 9 are hospitalized for asthma attacks each year because of cockroach infestation at home; and more than 180 children die each year in house fires attributable to faulty electrical heating and electrical equipment. (Sandel, et al: 1999)

Global poverty facts

• By the year 2030, an additional 3 billion people, about 40 percent of the world’s population, will need access to housing. This translates into a demand for 96,150 new affordable units every day and 4,000 every hour. (UN-HABITAT: 2005)
• One out of every three city dwellers – nearly a billion people – lives in a slum. (Slum indicators include: lack of water, lack of sanitation, overcrowding, non-durable structures and insecure tenure.) (UN-HABITAT: 2006)
• UN-Habitat has reported that because of poor living conditions, women living in slums are more likely to contract HIV/AIDS than their rural counterparts, and children in slums are more likely to die from water-borne and respiratory illness. (UN-HABITAT: 2006)
• Housing formation generates non-housing related expenditures that help drive the economy. (Kissick, et al: 2006)Investing in housing expands the local tax base. (Kissick, et al: 2006)

This year, World Habitat Day falls on October 5th and we can all do something to help raise awareness. Here's how you can help:

Educate yourself and your friends and family.

• Read Habitat’s World Habitat Day handbook to learn more about the importance of secure tenure and neighborhood revitalization.
• Take a virtual tour of the Capotillo informal settlement in the Dominican Republic.
• Read statistics and research about poverty housing in the U.S. and around the world.
• Link to our World Habitat Day 2009 resources page on your social media pages, personal Web site or blog.

Advocate for decent housing for all.

• Submit a photo of yourself holding a sign that says “It all starts at home” and submit it to Habitat’s photo petition on Flickr.com.
• Send a message to your members of Congress on World Habitat Day.
• Tell your friends and family to take action too! Use the “Email” button at the top of this page to share this Web page.

Join a World Habitat Day event in your community.
Visit World Habitat Day events.

Donate to support Habitat’s efforts.
Donate online today.