Everyone deserves a clean, safe place to live.
There are currently 1.6 billion people in the world that live in substandard housing. A shift from rural to urban environments is forming more slums and unplanned settlements than ever before. Let's fix this together.
The Problem
Lack of shelter is a problem all over the world. Whether it be in a developing country or close to home, the problem remains the same. It has a direct connection to the cycle of poverty and inadequate housing can affect ones health, safety, and prosperity.
The Causes
The major cause of inadequate housing is rapid world growth and urbanization. Many cities are not able to adapt and provide for their inhabitants. Currently there are over 1 billion people living in unplanned urban settlements. These “slums” do not have adequate housing, water, or electricity and have high crime rates.
Another cause of poor living conditions is natural disasters. People who are displaced from their homes are forced to start over again and in some cases become homeless. There will always be a need for immediate disaster relief, but we also a need to think about how to rebuild with the long term future in mind.
The Solution
Shelter’s mission is to build and repair communities around the world through architecture and construction. We are currently holding a design competition encouraging architects and planners to think about how to handle the growing problem of substandard housing. In late 2015 we plan to start bringing our projects to life.
