Housing Resources

Fuller, M. with Scott, D. (1986). No more shacks!: The daring vision of habitat for humanity. Waco, TX: Word Books.

OVERVIEW

The striking contrast between rich and poor is increasingly dramatized to all honest travelers and observers of the media. Food, clothing, and shelter remain the essentials of human life—and deprivation of these basic rights (along with medical care, education, and employment) dehumanizes families and threatens the future of all.

Millard Fuller and Habitat for Humanity are dedicated to ridding the world of poverty, inadequate housing, and indignity. Fuller writes:

The simplest answer I can offer to the question of how to eliminate poverty housing in the world is to make it a matter of conscience. We must do whatever is necessary to cause people to think and act to bring adequate shelter to everyone. And we’ll do this through a spirit of PARTNERSHIP.

First, we’re in partnership with God...this is God’s movement, and there’s nothing that can stop it.

Second, we’re in partnership with each other. One of the most exciting features of Habitat...is that people who don’t normally work together at all are coming together everywhere to work in this cause...affluent and poor; high school students and senior citizens, conservatives and liberals, Roman Catholics and Protestants, and every radical and ethnic group I can think of...

We might disagree on how to preach or how to dress or how to baptize or how to take communion...But we can all pick up a hammer and, sharing the love of Christ, we can begin to drive nails. Thank God we can agree on a nail!

With this dual partnership as our foundation we are going to arouse the conscience of individuals and organizations around the world, challenging them to join in this cause. And together, we are going to get rid of the shacks. ALL OF THEM!

Chapter four quotes the United Nations Center for Human Settlements’ estimation of between one and one-and-a-half billion people—one quarter of the earth’s population—as lacking in adequate shelter.

Of these, one hundred million have no housing whatever. In many cities of the third world, half of the people live in slum and squatter settlements. In some cities, over three-fourths of the population live in such conditions. In Latin America alone, it is estimated that twenty million children live in the streets, with no place to call home. (p. 33)

In New York City, where the Habitat for Humanity project on the Lower East Side has renovated a six-story for nineteen low-income families, an estimated thirty to sixty thousand people are homeless, with two hundred and fifty thousand more on the brink of homelessness...In Boston...more than five thousand people are homeless...On the west coast, in Los Angeles, more than thirty thousand people are homeless, Thousands more are crowded into inadequate shelter. (p. 34)

The United Nations estimates that the world’s population will increase by one-and-a-half billion by the year 2000. Furthermore, it is predicted that 80% of these newcomers will be city dwellers. (p. 35)

Unfortunately, (Habitat for Humanity’s) effort (to provide decent housing for all) is confronted by two major obstacles. One is an uncaring attitude on the part of people who could help. The other is the population explosion. (p. 37)

The basic idea of Habitat is to provide a partnership of resources and labor so that the poor can help build their own housing—pay for ownership without interest—and contribute to the housing of others in need.

Seven appendices reveal a practical world strategy and operation.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Do you agree with Millard Fuller when he says, "All of God’s people should have at least a simple, decent, place to live?" Is simple, decent living space a basic human need or right? If you agree, then what should be done?
2. If there are enough ideas and material resources to solve such problems in our world, why isn’t there more progress?
3. How can churches, individuals, and governments begin to solve this problem?
4. What affects you most about Habitat for Humanity?

IMPLICATION

Those with conscience enough to cringe at the indignity of the impoverished, realize that each human family ought to have a decent place to live and a chance to earn a survival income. This book is about what ought to be done, can be done, and is being done.

Dean Borgman cCYS

Oraker, J. (1988). Discover the gold mine of community resources. Inside the Mission. Colorado Springs, CO: Young Life.

OVERVIEW

What would you do in these situations?

• Jeff calls and says he has a friend over at his house who he thinks overdosed on drugs.
• Emily tells you in tears that her father is molesting her.
• Andy has run away for the third time and refuses to go home.

One option is to call a community agency that specializes in these areas; you cannot be an expert on all of the problems encountered by kids today. To utilize the resources available when a crisis occurs, do some community research.

Community research involves two steps:

• Personal contact.
• Recording the contacts and their information.

STEP ONE: CONTACTING A COMMUNITY AGENCY

Agencies to contact include your local social services agency and the police department. Also ask suicide, drug, and pregnancy hotlines for the names of agencies that deal with adolescent problems. After compiling a list of agencies, follow these steps with each organization:

• Phone ahead and make an appointment.
• Know the name (and its proper spelling) of the individual with whom you will be speaking during your appointment.
• Tell the individual why you want to speak with him or her before you arrive. For example, say, "Hi, I'm Jeff James. I work with the local Young Life group here. We're an interdenominational Christian group that works with teenagers. I'm setting up a community referral system to help me better serve the needs of the kids I work with and I'd like to find out what you do. I'd also like to tell you about us."
• During the meeting show sincere interest in their program and be sure that you understand it. Ask specific questions for your resource notebook. Show interest in the person you are talking to; ask how they became involved in this kind of work. Ask for examples of how they have worked with kids in the past.
• Let the contact person know how you can serve them. Leave with them information about your organization (include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail).
• Express your appreciation of his or her time both verbally and by letter. Write a brief note of thanks immediately. Promote a positive, cordial relationship with the community agencies in your town.

STEP TWO: RECORDING THE CONTACTS

Set aside several pages in a looseleaf notebook or in a database and create eleven columns. In each column record the following information about each agency:

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• Formal name of the community agency. Include the initials of the community agency in parenthesis. Community agencies, like universities, are often identified by their initials rather than their formal name. For example, Youth Services Bureau (YSB).

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• Address of the community agency including both the street and mailing address. For example, 200 East Alpine Street, (include P.O. box number if relevant), Colorado Springs, CO 11111.

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• Phone number of the community agency, including the area code.

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• Date of contacts with the agency, including the month, day, and year.

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• Name of the contact person, including their preferred name in parenthesis. Also include the person's professional degree and his or her agency title and position. For example, Ms. Barbara Liston, (Barb), B.A., Director, Youth Service Bureau.

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• Relational contact personal information. For example, Barb is pursuing her master's degree. She is active in her youth group at church.

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• Referral mechanics-this is how you actually get the organization to help someone. For example, daily office hours for referrals are: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., phone, 555-6880. Emergency services or on weekends call 555-6611.

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• Agency services, including specialties. For example, YSB is primarily a crisis and referral agency for youth between the ages of 10-18. They work well for kids who are involved in incest or abuse, and are themselves nonviolent.

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• Agency needs, including notes of how you can help or have helped them. For example, YSB urgently needs volunteers for their newsletter production, and Speaker's Bureau. Sent over Jane Smith to help with the newsletter.

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• Agency referral and new contacts-ask, "Is there another agency you think might be useful for me to contact?"

Update the information in your notebook at least once a year. Share it with your staff and volunteers.

 

IMPLICATIONS

• One's personal response is the most important immediate response.

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• Some problems are beyond one's expertise. Save valuable time and stress be knowing the options.
• Willingness to be helpful, available, and supportive are the first steps. The next step is to guide. Be a knowledgeable guide.