World Habitat Day 2012: What you can do

Today is World Habitat Day, a day dedicated by the United Nations to help raise awareness of the dire need for adequate shelter. We love the 2012 theme of "many homes, one community" which focuses not only on the individual family transformation but on the growth of strong neighborhoods and communities.  We understand that decent and affordable housing plays a huge roll in community stabilization and development.

Here at Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County we are proud to be part of Habitat for Humanity International which is working to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.  We stand by our mission statement which reads: "Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope."

We urge you to get involved. Educate yourself on the housing situation around the world. 

• Read about the housing crisis in the Asia-Pacific region: "Housing not just a roof, it breaks poverty cycle"

"The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than four billion people and some of the world's most dynamic economies. Yet, not everyone has a decent place to call home. One in eight, or 500 million people, lives in a slum and that figure is expected to grow, United Nations statistics show" read more

• Learn about the work being done to offer microcredit support for basic water and sanitation services in Nicaragua: Nicaragua's Housing Solutions.

•  Sign the Pledge to End Poverty Housing. This virtual petition calls on key decision-makers to commit to recognizing the role of housing in communities, making affordable and adequate housing a priority, and changing the policies that lead to poverty housing.

Tell us how what you're doing this World Habitat Day?