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Interactions Access Reading, 4/e

Pamela Hartmann, Los Angeles Unified School District
James Mentel, Los Angeles Unified School District

Work and Lifestyles

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Habitat for Humanity

Many of us go home every day after work or after school. We cook dinner, watch TV, or spend time with our families. Usually, we don't think about what it means to have a home. But even in rich countries like the United States, homelessness is a huge problem. Many people live on the street, and many more live in housing that is inadequate: without heat and running water, without indoor toilets, or just old and falling apart. One of the biggest causes of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing—there are not enough houses that are cheap enough for poor people to buy.

Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is one organization that is trying to do something about the problem of affordable housing. HFH builds houses for low-income people (people who earn low salaries) and sells them at low prices. There are three reasons that HFH houses are affordable for low-income people. First, homeowners and Habitat volunteers work together to build the houses. Second, HFH sells the houses at no profit—they don't make any money from the sale, and they don't charge any interest on the mortgage (the mortgage is the loan that the bank gives you when you want to buy a house.) Finally, individuals, companies, and other organizations donate all of the necessary money and materials to build the homes, so the cost of building is very low.

Habitat for Humanity doesn't build homes only in the United States. It works worldwide in countries such as Guatemala, the Philippines, and Ghana. Some of Habitat's programs have been around for a long time: HFH recently completed its 20,000th house in Africa. Other programs are newer. Habitat just finished its first house in Antigua and Barbuda, in the village of Bolans. HFH chooses its homeowner families according to their need, their interest in working with Habitat, and their ability to repay the no-interest mortgage. Habitat does not discriminate against people because of their religion, ethnic background, or race. Habitat works with all types of people. The only requirement is that the homeowners invest their time and energy into the program, helping to build their own house and the houses of others.

Finding the Main Idea


1	Choose the best main-idea statement for the passage above.
		A)	Habitat for Humanity uses volunteers and homeowners to build new houses.
		B)	Habitat for Humanity is an organization that tries to solve the homelessness problem by building affordable housing.
		C)	Habitat for Humanity works in Africa and Latin America building houses for homeless people.

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