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Habitat for Humanity Australia Wins Prime Minister's
Award
for
Community Partnership
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SYDNEY, 26th
July 2004: Habitat for Humanity Australia has won one
of the prestigious 2004 Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence
in Community Business Partnerships. Habitat won the state
award for New South Wales in the medium-business category.
The award recognises Habitat for Humanity Australia's
commitment to assisting families in need to achieve their
dream of home ownership through Habitat's partnership
with PMI Mortgage Insurance, a leading Australian mortgage
insurer (www.pmigroup.com.au).
Winning partnership (left to
right): Michael Pailthorpe HFH Australia's CEO
with Senator Bill Heffernan
of New South Wales, who presented the New South
Wales category awards,
and Ian Graham, managing director of PMI Mortgage
Insurance. |
The Prime Minister's Awards recognise successful partnerships
between business and community organisations and the contributions
these initiatives make to benefit the broader Australian
community. The national awards will be announced in Brisbane,
Queensland, in August.
Habitat for Humanity Australia's Chief Executive Officer
Michael Pailthorpe said: “The award pays tribute
to PMI's long-term commitment to the partnership program.”
“With the ongoing support that PMI has given Habitat,
we have enabled more low-income Australian families to
realise their dreams. We are extremely appreciative to
have such a unique partner who not only understands but
gives so wholeheartedly to our vision.”
PMI's managing director, Ian Graham, said his company's
partnership with Habitat was integral for the organisation
with PMI people volunteering their time for the building
of each Habitat home through to the stage of completion.
PMI commenced as a partner with Habitat in 2000 and is
currently scheduled to start construction on a fourth
joint house in August.
“Not only does this have a positive impact on the
team's morale, but it also helps extend the partnership
benefits through teamwork and the opportunity to work
closely with the community,” said Graham.
He added, “PMI's active participation with Habitat
for Humanity, we believe has generated positive and long-term
outcomes at the community level by helping low-income
Australian families get into their own home. It is the
alignment of this relationship with is vital to supporting
PMI's core values which focus on making home ownership
attainable for all Australians.”
HFH Australia completed its first house in the early 1990s
and has affiliates in four states. The greatest obstacle
to facing low-income families in Australia is the high
cost of land, making purchase impractical for homeowners.
Australian affiliates overcome this obstacle through securing
land donations. To date, some 50 low-income families have
been helped with Habitat homes.
Many teams of Australian volunteers travel overseas each
year to build Habitat homes in and around the Asia-Pacific
region. Around 15 teams are expected to travel to countries
such as Fiji, Samoa, East Timor and India in the next
12 months.
HFH Australia has secured funding to build 450 houses
in East Timor and 300 houses in Cambodia in the next three
years. There are also plans to assist building in the
Philippines in the near future.
Through its subsidiaries, PMI is one of the largest private
mortgage insurers in the United States, Australia, New
Zealand, and the European Union, as well as the largest
mortgage guaranty reinsurer in Hong Kong. |
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