Berkley Center

The meeting focused on the role of faith-inspired organizations in global efforts to ensure decent housing for all persons. Invitees explored some of the shared objectives of faith-inspired and mainstream development communities to meet pressing needs surrounding decent shelter, from water and sanitation to productive employment. Participants recognized common theological ground among faith traditions about the problem of shelter. Yet, despite a common sense that faith communities were deeply invested in shelter, limited systematized knowledge existed about their work and approach on the ground. 

The Decent Shelter for All initiative mapped the diverse activities of faith-inspired organizations in shelter to better inform development practice, clarify common concerns, promote complementary and strategic partnerships, and identify critical gaps to be filled in support of local practitioners. The shelter initiative was launched during a December 2006 meeting of interfaith leaders and development practitioners at the Berkley Center, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International. This project was part of the Luce/SFS Program on Religion and International Affairs and supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, World Faiths Development Dialogue, and the World Bank's Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics.