Press Releases
October 4, 2010
Habitat for Humanity Armenia on a mission to revive Spitak
YEREVAN, ARMENIA (October 4, 2010) – In December 1988, the city of Spitak, at the time Armenia’s leading industrial center, suffered from a devastating earthquake that left 500,000 people homeless. Almost 22 years later, many of the suffered families still live in temporary shelter or damaged houses.
On World Habitat Day, designated by the United Nations to draw attention to the world’s tremendous housing need, Habitat Armenia is joining a larger family of Habitat for Humanity around the world to fight poverty housing and homelessness through actions.
This year, Habitat for Humanity Armenia celebrates the day by plastering and painting walls in Sergo Ghazaryan’s house in Spitak. City mayor of Spitak, representatives of the state urban ministry and partner organizations and students from the Armenian national lyceum of Anania Shirakatsi joined Habitat to volunteer at the event.
Habitat’s Repairing Homes project in Spitak aims to provide affordable housing for the families who suffered in the 1988 earthquake. Habitat for Humanity Armenia, in partnership with “Nor Horizon” Universal Credit organization LLC, offers families affordable loans to improve their housing conditions in Spitak.
“Habitat Armenia started implementing the project in March, 2010. We have already supported 18 families and hope to increase this number up to 35 families by the middle of next year,” says Luiza Vardanyan, acting executive director of Habitat Armenia.
“A safe and secure home provides more than just shelter from nature’s harshest elements. It is also a bulwark against disease–not only from the family that dwells there but also for the whole community. Habitat is working to ensure that poverty housing and homelessness become socially and politically unacceptable,” says Lucija Popovska, program director at Habitat for Humanity Europe and Central Asia.
This year, in recognition of World Habitat Day, Habitat for Humanity is releasing “Housing and Health: Partners Against Poverty,” a comprehensive policy report highlighting the connection between healthy homes and healthy families.
At the same time, the 27th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project will spearhead World Habitat Day events for the organization. It will be held October 4–8 in six cities in the United States where the Carters and volunteers will work to build, rehabilitate and improve 86 homes.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built and renovated more than 350,000 homes worldwide. In Europe and Central Asia, Habitat works in 20 countries with partners, donors and volunteers from the region.For more information about Habitat for Humanity, or to donate or volunteer, visit www.habitateurope.org
About Habitat for Humanity Armenia
In Armenia, Habitat for Humanity has been active since 2000, renovating and repairing houses, offering housing microfinance services and advocating for affordable housing, all with partner families. To date, it has renovated more than 600 homes countrywide. For more information about Habitat for Humanity, or to donate or volunteer, visit www.habitat.am
For more information on U.S. Embassy activities, please visit the U.S. Embassy Yerevan website: www.usa.am
Contact Details:
Naira Abrahamyan
Communications Assistant
Habitat for Humanity Armenia
(+374 10) 543001, (+374 77) 106 203
nabrahamyan@habitat.am
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