1000th Habitat home built in Europe/Central Asia region

On 24 March 2006, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Catherine Byrne, will dedicate four Habitat for Humanity homes in Ballymun, Dublin. The homes are the first to be completed by Habitat for Humanity in Ireland and it will mean the completion of the 1,000th home by Habitat for Humanity in the Europe/Central Asia region. Four local families will take ownership of the Ballymun homes, and move from their current substandard accommodation to their new homes.

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There are two 3-bedroom houses and two 2-bedroom apartments. They were constructed over the past year on a piece of land where antisocial behaviour was disrupting the lives of neighbouring householders. Habitat for Humanity built the homes in partnership with the local community, local government, corporate sponsors, volunteers and the future homeowners. Each partner family invested well in excess of the required 500 labour hours into the building of their homes and those of their neighbours. They participated in all aspects of the build – learning new skills, and building friendships with their new neighbours.

The volunteering programme was a huge success. In total, more than 700 volunteers donated over 7,000 hours of their time to the project, saving the organisation in excess of €80,000 in labour costs over the duration of the build.

Patrick Linders, Chairman of Habitat for Humanity Ireland, commented, “These houses are a testament to the hard work and commitment of ordinary people who had the opportunity to make a difference and volunteered to help build the homes, and the support of companies who gave something back to the community so these four families could have a decent, affordable place to live.”

Habitat for Humanity Ireland partnered with EBS Building Society to develop a special mortgage product for the future homeowners. The mortgage is a zero-profit, affordable mortgage, and the service from EBS includes a dedicated mortgage advisor who will guide the homeowners through the process of applying for the mortgage and answer any queries they might have. This financial model has been recognised within the whole Habitat for Humanity organisation as an innovative model that has the potential to be replicated by HFH affiliates throughout the world.

Find out more about Habitat for Humanity Ireland at www.habitatireland.ie.