IXL Social Enterprise Case Studies Housing January 2012

Revolutionizing the way to make housing affordable for everyone Exhibit 2 Partial List of Select Activities and Programs Share.Habitat: An online crowdsourcing platform on Habitat.org, Share.Habitat supports user-generated content that puts the volunteer at the center of the HFHI story. Volunteers on HFHI projects around the world have a central location to fundraise, adopt a family or village, describe their own experiences in their own words with pictures, videos, and stories from the build site. Share.Habitat on Habitat.org seeks to make the HFHI volunteer experience more dynamic, future-oriented, and innovative. In beta testing, a group of 172 Global Village volunteers traveled to eight HFHI communities in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe posted 400+ stories and successfully raised over US$250,000. My.Habitat: In answer to growing knowledge management need, HFHI is in the process of implementing an intranet site called “My. Habitat,” with an online database of best practice information and materials. My.Habitat is working to restructure the methods affiliates use to access information. As HFHI continues to grow, My.Habitat will need to accommodate more languages, more complicated information systems, and more innovation. Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI): Local affiliates in the United States are working on community revitalization through rehabilitation, energy efficiency modifications, and weatherization projects. The goal is to approach community development holistically and transform communities in need leveraging local knowledge and government support. Construction Methods: ArcelorMittal began work in 2008 in Romania designing a lightweight, environmentally friendly, inexpensive steel frame that could be easily transported. The frame can be put together by skilled or unskilled volunteers, and has been designed for energy efficiency. The model is being put up across the country, and a similar model will be adopted in select Central American countries as well. MicroBuild: The MicroBuild Fund is designed to provide access to housing improvement funds worldwide. The initial plan is to raise US$50 million, with HFHI leveraging all donations. The money will then be distributed via microfinance institutions to begin offering housing building and rehabilitation loans. Participating microfinance institutions will match the amount of funds raised. ReStore: HFHI operates home supply stores in the United States and Canada. Items are gently used or surplus furniture, building materials, electronics, sinks, toilets, and other pieces necessary for home building and repair. These items are offered at a fraction of the price of retail stores. The stores promot

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