The dream of owning a home is often only a dream for many people around the world. When people think of homelessness, they often think of the slums in big cities like New York, or their mind conjures up video footage of malnourished people living in underdeveloped countries on the other side of the globe. However, problems of horrible living conditions plague every community - even Yolo County. Sheltered by college life, students may not be aware that horrific housing conditions exist. Such problems only lie a few blocks off of Woodland's Main Street and Interstate 80 in West Sacramento.
Some people do nothing about the problem, while others take action.
In 1993, a group of volunteers met at the United Methodist Church on Anderson Road in Davis, and started the beginnings of what became the Yolo Habitats For Humanities chapter in 1995. HFH is an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter. People from all walks of life help to build 90 percent of all housing units. According to Jennie Lee, HFH president for the Davis chapter, the organization began as a community-service program on campus in 1995 and was originally started by five members of Student Corps. In Davis, HFH is in the final stages of finishing two duplexes and a handicapped-accessible home where over 350 to 400 different volunteers have assisted in the construction process over the past two years, according to Bert Bangert, HFH Yolo County construction manager.