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On February 17, 2006, Habitat for Humanity Canada and Habitat for Humanity National Capital Regionlaunched Operation Home Delivery in Canada during Ottawa’s Winterlude Festival. The Operation Home Delivery program is designed to provide appropriate and affordable housing solutions for communities in crisis caused by |
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natural and manmade disasters in Canada and abroad. The first area of concern is the U.S. Gulf Coast, which was left devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. |
The launch featured Canada ’s first-ever
“House-in-a-Box” initiative. Volunteers built a pre-fabricated house that was displayed in front of Ottawa City Hall over the weekend, and was then packaged in a container truck and shipped to Louisiana for a family that lost its home due to Hurricane Katrina.
Since the hurricanes struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, Habitat for Humanity Canada has received unprecedented support from individuals and organizations wanting to help families in crisis.
“The launch of Operation Home Delivery in Ottawa clearly demonstrates Canadians’ strong desire to lend their support to those in need around the world and at home,” said David Hughes, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. “The first stage of the Operation Home Delivery program will see Canadians send houses, funds, volunteers and expertise in order to support the long-term rebuilding requirements of our neighbours in need.”
Operation Home Delivery will provide support in a number of ways, including the “House-in-a-Box” initiative which provides prefabricated housing components for quick and easy assembly in the affected Gulf region, Global Village Teams which will send volunteers to the region to help with reconstruction efforts, and Team Canada Expert Missions which will provide Canadian expertise to those involved in rebuilding homes and revitalizing Habitat for Humanity affiliates within the region.
Habitat for Humanity Canada is partnering with the Thibodaux, Louisiana-based Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity affiliate, which serves the Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes just outside of New Orleans . In these two parishes 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Work in these regions will begin in April 2006.
Operation Home Delivery’s most innovative program, “House-in-a-Box,” will see volunteers and partners gather at various locations across North America to assemble the materials needed to build one or more houses. The houses will be pre-built over a few days and then tacked together to ensure a rock-solid fit. The house frames will then be taken apart and shipped with other construction materials in containers to the affected areas along the Gulf Coast , where families, volunteers and builders will reassemble the homes. 
“Operation Home Delivery is set to change how aid, in the form of affordable housing, is delivered around the world and here at home,” said David Hughes. “This program and the “House-in-a-Box” concept is a demonstration of Habitat for Humanity Canada’s efforts to find innovative and cost effective methods for rebuilding devastated communities in crisis.”
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Individuals and corporate partners interested in donating to Habitat’s efforts can call the toll free number at 1-800-667-5137.
Please also follow this link, where donations can be made on-line. All monies designated for the Hurricane Katrina Response Fund will be utilized to support “Operation Home Delivery”.
About Operation Home Delivery:
Operation Home Delivery is a rapid-deployment disaster response and rebuilding program providing emergency shelter, transitional and long-term housing solutions. These solutions are timely, appropriate and affordable for communities dealing with crisis as a result of natural and manmade disasters in Canada and abroad.
The program is administered through Habitat for Humanity Canada, and involves numerous partners from the Government of Canada, the private sector, and the relief and development sector - bringing together resources and expertise in a very effective and efficient manner. The collaborative program facilitates early access and involvement, to meet needs in crisis regions where long-term reconstruction efforts will be required. In many of these cases, Habitat for Humanity’s core homeownership model will have significant potential for expansion. | |
