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We must collectively confront the impact of climate change
on the families we serve
On World Environment Day 2021, Habitat for Humanity released our position on housing and climate change.
Today we are faced with an unprecedented global housing challenge, which is further exacerbated by an unprecedented climate challenge. In the last six months, about 10.3 million people were displaced by climate change-induced events such as flooding and droughts. We have a responsibility to recognise that climate change has a disproportionate impact on the millions of vulnerable people we serve, and that to be accountable to them, we must address that impact through resilient housing.
In Bangladesh, we launched a disaster resilience improvement project in a disaster-prone district of Patuakhali for 74 families in need. In the Philippines, we built disaster-resilient and eco-friendly bamboo homes and developed sustainable communities for 10,000 informal settler families living in danger zones. In Nepal, we brought community members together and facilitated action-focused discussions around the hazards and risks of disasters. We will continue to work with our local partners and empower those who are vulnerable to the effects of climate change to create stronger, more resilient communities across the region.
At Habitat, we believe adequate and affordable housing can be built sustainably and will contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We believe we must be humble in the face of new opportunities and challenges, recognising the need to minimise our own environmental impact as we work to ensure that everyone has a decent place to live, now and into the future.
Thank you, Jo Hayes CEO, Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong
“Super happy I was able to join the first Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong onsite volunteer build since Covid-19 started last year. We helped the elderly living alone in public rental housing, repair their apartments. Always remember to give back to the community and help others out, you'll feel great afterwards too!” Thomas said.
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing volunteers - Thomas, Wai Kin, Martina, Carson, Maethus and Mabel! With their great efforts, we could transform the living spaces and provide a better living environment for our home partners who live there! Maethus came to volunteer on his birthday and he donates to charity every single year for his birthday. May your birthday bring you as much happiness as you give to the vulnerable people in our communities!
To find out more about our local impact, take a look at our annual report. FY20 was a year of challenge and transformation on multiple levels. In the first half of the fiscal year, we were busy with our local programmes, providing improved living conditions for over 170 families living in dilapidated public housing apartments in Hong Kong. We welcomed hundreds of volunteers to take part in our Project School Works service days and to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in September 2019, we repaired and repainted the homes of elderly families and made mooncakes with residents of the SAGE Bradbury Home for the Elderly.
We were also busy scaling up our public policy efforts and in July 2019, more than 50 delegates from Hong Kong and colleagues from Habitat Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Bangladesh attended the Asia-Pacific Housing Forum Hong Kong event. Housing experts and key stakeholders joined a closed-door roundtable session to discuss how Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong can contribute to addressing the root causes of housing issues and impact systemic change in Hong Kong.
More than 200,000 people have lost their lives to the virus in India. Hospitals have reached breaking point and are turning away patients who are desperate for oxygen. The country is now reporting more than two-fifths of the world's COVID-19 cases.
Please donate to help us to provide emergency support and set up more Habitat Care Centres in India. These will help to boost existing medical infrastructure, support vulnerable people with safe spaces to isolate or quarantine, keeping families safe and prevent transmission.
Together, we build a better future
The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is relocating residents of four blocks at Pak Tin Estate in Sham Shui Po to new buildings next to its original location soon. The four buildings (Block 9, 10, 11 and 13) were built between 1975-1979. The building age is over 42 years.
In this phase starting from August 2021, there will be roughly 150 elderly households moving to new buildings across the street.
Thanks to our NGO partner, the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council (NAAC) Pak Tin Community Service Team, for packing and distributing our home hygiene packs to families who will be moving soon. We hope our efforts can help to keep them safe and reduce their economic burden in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic.
In Hong Kong
- Waiting time for public housing hits 22-year high (The Standard)
- Hong Kong must overcome past mistakes and ensure adequate community facilities at new public housing estates (South China Morning Post)
- Redeveloped industrial estates to provide 4,800 housing units (The Standard)
- Living in a lockdown nightmare: How Covid-19 compounds the problem of Hong Kong’s notorious sub-divided flats (Hong Kong Free Press)
- Subdivided flat residents want better living conditions (The Standard)
In Asia
- Asia is home to 99 of world’s 100 most vulnerable cities (The Guardian)
- Coronavirus in India Highlights: Jharkhand reports 603 new Covid-19 cases, 13 deaths in last 24 hours (India Today)
- Coronavirus: The Indian children orphaned by Covid-19 (BBC)
- How Habitat for Humanity is helping India’s most underserved communities (Social Story)
Around the world
- Top 10 cities where you can live without a car and help save the Earth (Habitat for Humanity)
- More people displaced due to climate disasters than conflicts in 2020 (Business Standard)
- UN-Habitat announces climate crisis themes for World Habitat Day and World Cities Day 2021 (UN-Habitat)
Around the world, people are speaking up for environmental protection and a more sustainable future for all. At Habitat, we work to adopt eco-friendly construction materials, advocate for climate change resilience, and strive to build resilient communities. Join the Habitat family by becoming a monthly donor and make the world a better place to live!
The global pandemic has changed the way we live but did not stop us from continuing to look after ourselves and taking care of our colleagues. Let’s join the Best Workplaces for Hong Kong 2021 Awards ceremony and meet other passionate culture leaders! You can learn some of the best practices and start providing necessary resources to your employees.
Habitat Hong Kong provides free home cleaning, repair, and renovation services to elderly and low-income families, to provide a healthy, safe and sanitary home. You can join us to provide these families with a decent place to live, be our volunteer now!
Contact us:
Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong
9/F, V-Point, 18 Tang Lung Street
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
enquiry@habitat.org.hk
+852 2520 4000
Copyright ©2021 Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong. All rights reserved.
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