World Habitat Day

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October as annual World Habitat Day.

World Habitat Day 2011:

This year, Habitat for Humanity will engage in a series of special activities over six weeks to highlight the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter.

The activities will begin on World Habitat Day, Oct. 3, and will end in November with the 28th annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Haiti.

The three primary events are:

• World Habitat Day: Habitat organizations in every U.S. state and in more than 40 other countries around the world will organize local World Habitat Day events throughout October. Have your WHD event listed on Habitat.org.
• Build Hope, An Evening Honoring Humanitarian Leadership: An evening event with dinner, entertainment and remarks from special guests will be held on Thursday, Oct. 6 in Washington, D.C. Build Hope will focus attention on World Habitat Day and will emphasize Habitat’s post disaster recovery work in Haiti. The event will also launch Habitat’s flagship annual event, the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. View the sponsorship opportunities.
• Habitat’s 28th Annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project: This event will be held in Haiti, Nov. 5-12, as the culmination of Habitat’s observance of World Habitat Day. Carter Work Project volunteers will build 100 earthquake-resistant homes in the city of Léogâne — considered to be the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake. Learn more about the 2011 JRCWP.

The purpose of World Habitat Day:

• To call attention to the current global state of the human habitat. To push toward adequate housing for all.
• To dismantle and alter the systems that reinforces and entrench poverty housing.
• To make an affordable, decent place to live a reality for all.