An investment in families

New homeowners settle into 29 Habitat houses near Goiania, Brazil, prompting an unforeseen renaissance in the surrounding area.

Rosy, salmon-colored Habitat houses have changed the face of Nova Abadia, a community in the heart of Brazil’s cattle country near Goiania. Luzia Leal Desouza is among 29 new homeowners, all of whom did their sweat-equity work on the homes collectively, not knowing which one would be theirs until the project was completed in August of 2007. “It was a nice surprise at the end,” said Desouza, who is raising three children with her husband. “All my life I wanted a house, but I never thought I’d have one.”

Beyond these 29 homes, though, there is a wider impact being made here. Neylon Teixeira Faleiro, regional coordinator of Habitat for Humanity Brasil, points proudly to a nearby piece of property that the city of Goiania has donated for the construction of 57 more houses. Faleiro has a college degree in business, so he is especially eager to talk about the financial effect that decent, affordable housing is making in this region. “People who own property around the area where we’ll be building more Habitat houses are now holding onto their land,” he said. “Some even had it on the market before but have now taken it off. They are expecting these Habitat projects to make the land values go up.” Investments in families often pay off in unforeseen ways.