Women Building a Legacy One House at a Time
By Donna Bosley
As professionals in the building industry, we all find the problem of substandard housing troubling. Women Build, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, offers a unique opportunity to be part of the solution.
Women Build recruits, nurtures and trains women to build and maintain decent, affordable housing in a supportive environment. As with all Habitat houses, Women Build houses are constructed with volunteer labor and donations of money and materials. The houses are sold to partner familes at no profit and they are financed with no-interest loans.
Women Learn Home Building Skills
Women Build is not about excluding men, but about including women! About 50% of Habitat’s volunteer force is made up of women, yet women often account for less than 15% of the work done on the construction site because they haven't received adequate training.
"With Women Build, women from all walks of life are discovering they can build a house and transform the lives of other women and their children," says Fiona Eastwood, manager of Habitat's Women Build.
"A Women Build site provides a comfortable learning environment where women can have fun and gain skills they can apply in their own lives, while helping another family have a home of their own," Eastwood says. " Women don't just build houses — they build homes."
Women who participate in the builds learn skills that enable them to maintain their own homes and to be less dependent on friends and relatives for even minor repairs. This new independence is often reflected in other parts of their lives as well.
“Before I got my house, I would quit when things got hard,” says Dani Day, the owner of a Women Build house in Denver. “I wanted to continue my education but thought I’d never have the money. After getting the house, I realized that I could afford to go to school; there had to be a way.”
Substandard Housing a Threat to Children
In May 2001, with a week-long, five-house blitz-build in Denver, Women Build launched Women Building a Legacy, a nationwide program to address substandard housing and its effects on the health and well-being of children.
The initiative invites women celebrities and women from all walks of life to help build new homes for low-income families that include children whose health and potential is threatened by substandard housing. Safe, decent housing is critical to a child’s health and development, yet more than 12 million children in the U.S. live in poverty housing.
A study by Habitat for Humanity of East King County, Redmond, WA, found that:
- Thirty-eight percent of Habitat home owners said their new Habitat home had a positive effect on the physical health of their children, including fewer trips to doctors and hospitals.
- Sixty-seven percent reported less conflict in their family relationships after moving into a Habitat house.
- Sixty-three percent said there was a positive change in their children’s grades at school.
A History of Involvement
The Women Building a Legacy program follows the First Ladies Build program, in which women governors and state first ladies participated in building Habitat homes with women crews. Houses were built in every state, and many of the first ladies have continued their involvement with Habitat. Women crews have now built more than 350 houses in the United States.
NAHB Women’s Council members also have a long history of involvement in Women Build and other Habitat programs, with many local councils regularly helping to build homes, recruit volunteers and raise funds for the program.
Clearly, Women Build offers women the opportunity to be a part of the solution, “one house, one family at a time.” Get involved and make a difference in the lives of our most precious resource — our children.
Donna Bosley is a founding member of the Woman Build Steering Council for Habitat for Humanity International. She is currently the Habitat liaison for NAHB and the Women's Council, and serves as president of the board of her local affiliate.
Be Part of the Solution
To learn about Women Build events in your area, click here.
Women builds were completed last week in Trenton, NJ, and San Francisco, and one is being completed in Lawrence, MA, on Sept. 3. Here are some of the events that will be taking place in upcoming weeks:
|
Chesapeake, MD
Through Sept. 10 |
Denton, TX
Through Sept. 30 |
|
Allentown, PA
Through Sept. 17 |
Albany, OR
Through Oct. 1 |
|
Las Vegas
Through Sept. 29 |
Jackson, MS
Through Oct. 4 |
|
Brainerd, MN
Through Sept. 30 |
Fairfield, AL
Through Nov. 10 |
|
Norristown, PA
Through Sept. 30 |
Fort Collins, CO
Through Nov. 11 |
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