What happens when 'stay at home' means staying in an unhealthy place?
As a result of COVID19, more than 300 million people in 42 states have been asked to “stay at home” — and now more than ever, home is everything.
Home is the place to stay safe from a global pandemic. And for many of us, our home also has suddenly become our school, our barbershop, our restaurant, our office, our movie theater. For many, “stay at home” has meant the inconvenience of a changed routine. But for more than 19 million U.S. families sheltering in place, the substandard, overcrowded, or unaffordable housing situations they live with have only increased their feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability.
All of us at Habitat for Humanity know firsthand that better, affordable living conditions lead to improved health and stronger childhood development. We know that they give families the ability - and financial flexibility - to make forward-looking choices. Proper shelter creates jobs, revitalizes neighborhoods, attracts employers, increases consumer spending and government revenues, and lowers the risk of foreclosure, all while bringing transformative benefits to families and developing resiliency in communities.
Habitat for Humanity is a Christian organization that operates in more than 70 countries around the world and in every state of the U.S. Our vision has always been the same: a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Here at Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity, with community support like yours, we have partnered with more than 450 people who now have a safe, decent and affordable place to call “home.”
Before this pandemic, the world was already experiencing a housing crisis. COVID-19 has revealed its extent and added to its urgency. Habitat is needed now more than ever. And - now more than ever - we need you.
