ArcelorMittal Point Lisas Donating Steel to Help Build Low-Income Homes
08/13/2014 - ArcelorMittal Point Lisas and Habitat for Humanity Trinidad and Tobago (HFHTT) have signed a memorandum of understanding for the donation of 40 metric tons of steel billets which, once rolled and cut into steel rods, will be used in the construction and repair of low-income houses.
This is the first time HFHTT has received such a donation and it is estimated that it help build around 50 houses as part of HFHTT’s “Build Community” project.
HFHTT national director, Jennifer Massiah, in her welcome address at the launch event held on 17 July, hailed ArcelorMittal’s donation of steel billets as a significant community investment in the building of low-cost houses for Habitat home partners. In fact, this community investment is expected to cut housing costs for HFHTT and its home partners by more than US$8,000 per house.
She said the donation was testament to the strength of the partnership forged between ArcelorMittal and the NGO over the years.
ArcelorMittal’s managing director and CEO, Robert Bellisle, affirmed ArcelorMittal’s commitment towards making a positive contribution towards its host community and underscored the importance of corporate volunteering and community engagement.
The town of Harmony Hall was chosen in December 2013 for the pilot Build Community project, which will continue through November 2014. The first of its kind for HFHTT, project Build Community will provide material to up to 21 families and hands-on skills training to up to 25 families of Harmony Hall.
The initiative seeks to use a different model to help work around HFHTT’s challenge of land ownership—critical to qualifying for Habitat housing. Using this model, most home partners have already earned donated house repair materials through the hours they gave working on a demonstration house in their neighbourhood. Further, residents have worked with and received training from a team of skilled carpenters from the U.S.
The combination of materials donation and ongoing training will allow these families to carry out much needed repairs on their own homes. In this way, project Build Community aims to transfer construction skills and teach self-reliance, putting the future into home partners’ own hands.
The Harmony Hall community presents a significant housing need. Residents were longtime squatters in the area and after lengthy meetings with the land settlement agency the community was identified for ‘regularization’. Approximately 190 lots were identified, of which 140 are occupied. Given their land situation, most of the families are unable to approach financial institutions for funding to adequately meet their housing needs.
HFHTT national director, Jennifer Massiah, in her welcome address at the launch event held on 17 July, hailed ArcelorMittal’s donation of steel billets as a significant community investment in the building of low-cost houses for Habitat home partners. In fact, this community investment is expected to cut housing costs for HFHTT and its home partners by more than US$8,000 per house.
She said the donation was testament to the strength of the partnership forged between ArcelorMittal and the NGO over the years.
ArcelorMittal’s managing director and CEO, Robert Bellisle, affirmed ArcelorMittal’s commitment towards making a positive contribution towards its host community and underscored the importance of corporate volunteering and community engagement.
The town of Harmony Hall was chosen in December 2013 for the pilot Build Community project, which will continue through November 2014. The first of its kind for HFHTT, project Build Community will provide material to up to 21 families and hands-on skills training to up to 25 families of Harmony Hall.
The initiative seeks to use a different model to help work around HFHTT’s challenge of land ownership—critical to qualifying for Habitat housing. Using this model, most home partners have already earned donated house repair materials through the hours they gave working on a demonstration house in their neighbourhood. Further, residents have worked with and received training from a team of skilled carpenters from the U.S.
The combination of materials donation and ongoing training will allow these families to carry out much needed repairs on their own homes. In this way, project Build Community aims to transfer construction skills and teach self-reliance, putting the future into home partners’ own hands.
The Harmony Hall community presents a significant housing need. Residents were longtime squatters in the area and after lengthy meetings with the land settlement agency the community was identified for ‘regularization’. Approximately 190 lots were identified, of which 140 are occupied. Given their land situation, most of the families are unable to approach financial institutions for funding to adequately meet their housing needs.
