Putting The Humanity Back Into Habitats

" 'To be effective, affordable housing should be dispersed throughout healthy historic neighborhoods that have an intact community structure and access to transit,' says NEA Director of Design Jeff Speck. 'But these neighborhoods often resist Habitat houses, not for socioeconomic reasons, but simply because Habitat’s designs are not compatible with their historic fabric.' Speck helped bring ICA (now ICA&CA) and Habitat together shortly after becoming NEA director in 2003 "in hopes that they may find a way around this problem.' He says, 'The program that they have created is an inspiring model of how designers can direct their talents towards the service of society.' "