Substandard housing

Habitat for Humanity builds houses on stilts so they remain dry during Papua New Guinea's heavy rains. Families use the area under the house for storage, community gatherings and livestock. Concrete is expensive and not widely used in Papua New Guinea, so we use wood that has been treated to prevent decay and termite infestation.

Average house cost: £1,540

Substandard housing

Romania's traditional block houses usually take at least a year to build. However, thanks to a plentiful supply of wood, Habitat for Humanity affiliates are choosing wood frame construction which is quicker, more volunteer-friendly and more energy efficient. A combination of rigid foam insulation and fibreglass insulation for the walls and roof means families stay snug through Romania's cold winters. Stucco protects the house walls from weathering, and locally made clay tiles finish the roof.

Average house cost: £6,950

Substandard housing

Earthquakes are common in Guatemala, so local experts have designed Habitat for Humanity houses to resist tremors. The houses are made of hollow concrete blocks with steel rods to reinforce the walls every metre. Horizontal rods run through U-blocks at the foundation, window sill and top, and the spaces around the rods are filled with concrete. The window coverings and door are typically made of wood, but in areas where wood is more expensive, we use metal.

Average house cost: £1,400

Substandard housing

Houses in Britain are designed to be compact in a country where space is at a premium. They have a front room, kitchen/diner, one bathroom upstairs and a toilet downstairs. Homeowners have the option of converting the space under the stairs into a computer workstation unless they would prefer a cupboard for extra storage space.

The houses built so far have been three or four bedroom terraced houses with brick walls and tiled roofs. Liverpool HFH plans to build houses for disabled people that would have features such as a ramp into the house and handrails in the bathroom.

Average house cost in London: £100,000

Substandard housing

Habitat for Humanity houses in the US and Canada are generally built using wood frame construction, with gypsum board interior walls, vinyl siding and asphalt shingle roofs. Some affiliates also use proven alternative building materials such as adobe or straw bales. Some of the design criteria for a simple, decent home include:

• Living space of about 1,000 square feet (exact size depends on number of bedrooms)
• One bathroom
• Covered primary entrance
• Three-foot doorways and three-foot, four-inch hallways to allow wheelchair access.

Average house cost: £31,070

Substandard housing

Houses in Northern Ireland have timber frames, brick walls and clay tile
roofs. They are two storied semi-detached houses with three to four bedrooms and one bathroom.

Average house cost £45,000