The Ireland Funds - Your Money at Work : Habitat For Humanity NI

Family
The Robinsons and Taggarts are from different ends of the community spectrum, but as part of the Habitat programme they worked alongside each other and helped build each others’ homes, as well as a great relationship.

The Taggart family are Habitat homeowners in Ballysillan in North Belfast. While the distance between Ballysillan and Ligoniel is only a couple of miles, psychologically for the people that live there, it may as well be light years.

The significance of these two families being comfortable enough to go into the opposite community is a testament to the work that Habitat for Humanity does in Northern Ireland. Pictured here is the Taggart family proudly handing over to the Robinsons the keys to to their new home built by the two families.

This house was also the home built with help from the delegation visiting from The Ireland Funds in June of 2004. What was then “House 41” is now the Robinson Home.

In June 2004, Loretta Brennan Glucksman and a group of delegates from The Ireland Funds got their hands dirty dry-walling House 41 on a special Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland project in North Belfast. Nearly 18 months later, we catch up on the progress of building hope through housing in Northern Ireland.

• The Ireland Funds visit Habitat project 2004 >
• Thank you messages >
• The Ireland Funds Habitat article 2003 >

With support from The Ireland Funds nearly 50 low-income families have been housed in 5 Habitat projects in North and West Belfast, as well as Downpatrick since 1996.

These projects have played a critical role in regenerating communities blighted by decades of sectarian violence.

The legacy of division is reflected by the fact that over 92.5% of the public housing sector is segregated along religious lines and only 5% of schools are formally integrated. Continued segregation is neither socially nor economically sustainable.

Over the past 10 years Habitat has gained extensive experience in building bridges between communities divided by violence, engaging thousands of volunteers from both Catholic and Protestant traditions working together.

More than 4,000 volunteers have worked in excess of 20,000 hours together in the last 3 years alone.

The experience of working at the grass roots level and creating networks within the statutory and community sectors has positioned Habitat to respond positively to the Government’s ‘Shared Future Agenda’. In April 2004 the organisation was chosen as one of the Northern Ireland Housing Executives (NIHE) key social partners. Habitat works both at policy level and developing the NIHE stated corporate objective of launching two social integrated housing schemes by 2007.

Executive Director Peter Farquharson sees building houses in partnership with low-income families and local communities as a means to building sustainable reconciliation: “Habitat is committed to building sustainable reconciliation through practical self-help, volunteerism, skills and leadership development. The programme creates safe and shared spaces where individuals and groups can share their personal stories, explore the legacy of conflict, and take steps towards a shared future.”

Over the next 3 years Habitat has ambitious plans to mobilise more than 5,700 volunteers, building 30 homes across 6 communities, including Omagh and Mid-Shankill. But success will not be measured by volunteers or house numbers. Habitat is working with a range of partner organisations to create tailored volunteer programmes to explore the legacy of conflict, skills development and training for leadership within Habitat and the wider community. Peter Farquharson explains: “We recognise that our volunteer programme provides a unique shared learning environment which accelerates the opportunity for leadership skills and development. Over the next 3 years we aim to develop up to 250 new leaders with vision, new skills and confidence to engage in reconciliation work in Northern Ireland and around the world.”

“Reconciliation is right at the heart of Habitat’s work, breaking down barriers by bringing individuals and communities together to help people in need. This work is both symbolic and tangible in building a shared future.”
— Duncan Morrow CEO of the Community Relations Council

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Building Relationships
Beyond Belfast

As a result of skills developed through Habitat’s innovative volunteer programme, Habitat’s North Belfast Local Project Management committee has played a hands-on role in developing the local work. Last summer it also organised a cross-community team made up of residents and volunteers from Ballysillan and Ligoniel to build in Guatemala, a country that has its own history of conflict.

Member of the North Belfast Local Project Management Committee and team leader Angus Beck commented: “The trip wasn’t only about building a house; it was also about building relationships between people from two divided interface communities in North Belfast. That’s why we called it the ‘One Community’ team, and I’m pleased to say that that’s how it felt. For one small group of people, for 2 weeks there was a glimpse of a better way. Our work in North Belfast continues now with even more vigour and mutual confidence.”