Belfast based charity Habitat for Humanity Northern
Ireland was delighted to host a group from the Ireland
Funds at their Ballysillan site in North Belfast
on the 21st June 2004. Habitat for Humanity Northern
Ireland (HFHNI) is a cross-community, Christian self-build
housing organisation which helps low-income families
build and purchase their own homes at a price they
can afford.
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The work is focused on areas of housing
blight that have resulted from 30 years of community
conflict. Families in need build their own homes
with the help of volunteers. The self-build programme
seeks to address the effects of violence and segregation
by bringing volunteers from both traditions to
help build in both Catholic and Protestant communities.
Established in 1994 Habitat has successfully completed
two projects with another three currently underway.
In total 41 homes have been completed with another
16 under construction.
The Ireland Funds group which
included Loretta Brennan Glucksman and Sallyanne
Atkinson met a
number of habitat families and volunteers to get
a flavour of the work before they were actually
put to work “mudding” walls! North
Belfast typifies the highly polarised nature of
deprived communities in Northern Ireland. Ballysillan
(Protestant) and Ligoniel (Catholic) were historically
one community, which became segregated at the start
of the troubles. Both communities share many common
social problems such as housing and are among the
15% most deprived communities in Northern Ireland.
Habitat has had the support of the Ireland Funds
since 1996 and Executive Director Peter Farquharson
was keen to reiterate the importance of this support. “My
wife Jane and I returned to Belfast from London in
1993 with a passion for reconciliation. We returned
to start the work of Habitat in Northern Ireland
before the ceasefires and before the peace process.
We believed that the Habitat model could offer a
way for communities to break cycles of violence,
of dependency, and of segregation; while at the same
time build bridges towards reconciliation, bring
Catholics and Protestants together to build houses
with families in need.
During these past ten years,
amazing things have happened. We have completed two
projects either side of the peace line in West Belfast,
restoring dignity and hope. Without the incredible
support and endorsement of our work shown by the
Ireland Funds, I know we would not be where we are
today. The visiting group from the Ireland Funds worked
on Habitat house number 41, however, Habitat’s
work has never just been about numbers of houses.
40 houses represents 40 families with a home of
their own. It represents over fifteen thousand
volunteer days. People-Protestant and Catholic
given the opportunity to make a choice to volunteer,
to serve, to give of themselves, to come over,
to cross the divide.
The real impact of the Habitat Northern Ireland
Programme is on the families and volunteers that
partner. For the first time the organisation is active
in two neighbouring Catholic and Protestant communities
simultaneously. Homeowners from both communities
are undertaking their training and sweat equity together,
establishing respect and trust and forging friendships.
Particular highlights of the past year have been
the house dedications in North Belfast, homeowners
from Ballysillan and Ligoniel shared in the experience
by handing over keys to each other. This was a very
practical demonstration of how trust and friendships
have grown between these two communities and symbolises
their hope for a shared future.
Volunteers have been
able to work on both sites alongside people of
different traditions and backgrounds.
The days on-site provide volunteers with a great
opportunity to find out that they share more
in common than their perceived differences. With
each
volunteer day are regular times of reflection
and discussion on themes of conflict, equality and
diversity. This gives volunteers the opportunity
to experience first hand how this work builds
community
and hope.
A Shared Future
Whilst much has been achieved in the last ten years
the work is far from over. With the goal of building
10 houses per year locally and 100 internationally
Habitat still needs support from its committed partners.
The long-term vision remains to develop integrated
housing where both traditions can live together side
by side. In 2003 a public consultation “ A
Shared Future” was convened on the future of
community relations in Northern Ireland. Earlier
this year the Northern Ireland Housing Executive,
the publicly funded regional housing authority, recognised
Habitat as one of three social partners they will
work with to improve community relations through
housing.
Initially the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
has committed to pioneering two social integrated
housing schemes. The partnership with Habitat will
address residential segregation in the Omagh and
Cookstown ( Mid Ulster) areas of Northern Ireland.
This will give more than 400 families of mixed marriage
together with their communities the opportunity of
a choice they have never had.
Peter Farquharson comments, “We want to offer
ordinary people in communities the opportunity to
paint a picture. In essence we provide the canvass
and the paintbrushes, (the site and bricks and mortar).
This self-build housing programme creates real opportunities
for people to make real choices about their future
and paint a picture of a future that they thought
they never had. Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland
needs social entrepreneurs, venture capitalists that
are able to invest in the social impact of what can
be achieved. I believe with the support and vision
of the Ireland Funds we can continue to develop and
deliver this innovative programme, building houses,
building community, building hope.
Jennifer and Michelle's
Relationship Jennifer Crockard and Michelle Hamilton are two
ordinary women that never would have met but for
the fact that they were both selected as Habitat
homeowners. The women have overcome their fears and
suspicions to develop a friendship Jennifer comments: “At
the outset it was strange sitting alongside people
from Ligoniel. While it’s only up the road
it may as well have been another world. The more
Michelle and I chatted during the training sessions
and while doing our sweat equity, the more we realised
how much we had in common. I am delighted that through
partnering with Habitat I can now say I have a real
friend in Ligoniel-incredibly now we even work in
the same place”
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