Underfoot But Overlooked: Why Flooring is Key to a Healthy Home
At Habitat for Humanity, we believe every family deserves the chance to build a better life. One often overlooked but vital element of a decent home is quality flooring.
The impact that proper flooring has on a family’s well-being might not seem obvious at first, but imagine a day without a decent floor under your feet.
The simple joys and everyday activities you might take for granted would become challenging. Playing with your children or grandchildren on a clean, safe surface; moving confidently through your home without fear of tripping or accidents; keeping your living space free from dust and allergens.
Solid Floors, Solid Futures
Dirt floors are more than just an inconvenience, they are breeding grounds for parasites, bacteria, and insects that cause devastating illnesses like diarrhoea, respiratory diseases, anaemia, immunodeficiencies, and malnutrition.
Children are the most vulnerable to the threats caused by a lack of decent flooring as they are often crawling and playing in close contact with the ground.
A study by the World Bank and the University of California found that following improvements to flooring, children showed a 78% reduction in parasitic infection and 36% increase in cognitive development.
Paving the way: 100,000 floors to play on
Habitat for Humanity has partnered with the Inter-American Cement Federation, known by its Spanish acronym FICEM, to transform 100,000 unsafe, dirt floors into concrete in the region by 2028. This initiative, called ‘100,000 Floors to Play On’, will ultimately span at least 10 countries and impact 500,000 people over the next four years.
A solid, well-installed floor is the foundation of a healthy, dignified home. It’s essential for creating a space where families can thrive, children can play safely, and everyone can move about with ease and peace of mind.
Together, We Can Floor Housing Poverty!
Proper flooring is a simple yet meaningful intervention, and together, with your help, we have the opportunity to positively impact hundreds of thousands of lives.
With your support today, we can continue our flooring projects across Latin America, Africa, and other regions, as well as tackle housing poverty all around the world in the 70 countries where we work; transforming lives and paving the way to a brighter future for millions of families.
Click here to learn more
The post Why Flooring Matters appeared first on Habitat for Humanity GB.
