Social housing groups launch tsunami campaign

The social housing sector is gearing up for a massive fundraising drive to help rebuild communities shattered by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

The black and minority-ethnic association Sadeh Lok Housing Group, based in Huddersfield, has teamed up with the National Housing Federation, the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Federation of Black Housing Organisations to raise money from the sector to rebuild houses and schools swept away in the Boxing Day disaster.

The coalition will also talk to charity Homeless International, the Department for International Development and the ODPM about where best to direct its funds. In addition, the coalition could ask the government to match the sum it raises.

The organisations met on Wednesday to decide how the campaign – to be called the Villages of Hope appeal – should work. It will be formally launched in the week starting 17 January.

Ken Elliott, chief executive of Sadeh Lok, said the money could be channelled to local charities with housing and building expertise if the other coalition members agree. For example, he proposed that some of the cash could go to Indian charity Friends of Mettupalayam, which has 17 years’ experience of development and construction work.

Elliott said a village in the districts of Kanchipuram, Kadaloor, Villupuram or Nagapatanam in India could be the first target for help. Almost 8000 people were killed in just 13 of the villages in the four areas when the tsunami struck.

Overall the United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates that half a billion people will be displaced by the disaster.

Elliott said: “Thirty-four villages were wiped out. One of those, if the partners agree, will be the first target. The second could be in Sri Lanka.”

The coalition would look to rebuild 100 to 120 homes, a school and an orphanage in each village. This would cost about £100,000 for each village.

He said the group was likely to use local experts rather than fly out UK professionals. The appeal will focus on long-term reconstruction rather than the emergency shelters being provided by larger charities.

Jim Coulter, chief executive of the NHF, said: “The project in India is an example of the sort of project we would aim to fund. We don’t have fundraising targets at present. We just aim to maximise the number of villages we can help.”