Homes for Haiti Project

When the earthquake struck Haiti in January of last year, R3I began
praying about how we could best be involved. We were helping
various organizations and churches in their efforts, when we were
offered an opportunity to bring tents down to needy people in the city
of Jacmel.
As we drove through Haiti we were struck by how many structures
had “pancake” collapsed, meaning the roof fell straight down, which
has a very low survival rate. We were actually sickened by this, and
began discussing options for at least preventing this. We also saw
what a number of other organizations were doing, and talked with
Haitians about what they wanted.
Upon return, R3I Assistant Director David Peck began drawing up
plans for homes. We did not want to do anything temporary, but also
wanted to avoid the trap of handouts that could cause long term harm.
We needed the homes to be easily transportable to remote areas, to
be buildable by local workers, and to be culturally appropriate. After
much drawing, debating, researching, and experimenting, we settled on
our design.
We had an opportunity to take a few homes to Haiti last March to see
how they would work. The Haitians loved them, so much so that the
workers travelling with us would only sleep in those homes at night.
Through the Church of the Good Shepherd, we were connected to a
remote village in the mountains that had been hit hard by the quake.
We hired unemployed men from Hope for the Inner City to help us
here in Chattanooga, and began cutting and bundling the homes.
All total we have built 49 homes in Haiti to date. We have been asked
by people we got to know in the city of Leogane to return and build
more homes there. It is our goal to try to take 30-40 more homes down
there.
Each home costs $1200, which includes shipping them to Haiti,
setting them up on site, and helping the home owner begin the process
of finishing out the home. We provide the steel frame, which is
earthquake and hurricane resistant, but also are moving towards
including metal roofing and even walls.

Checks can be mailed to R3I, 4618 Tennessee Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37409.

For more information, email bripatmc@gmail.com