Text 8688, 64 rader
Skriven 2009-01-04 21:03:00 av TIM RICHARDSON (1:123/140)
Ärende: The Big housing Bust!
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Charity homes built by Hollywood start to crumble - Times Online


From The Sunday TimesJanuary 4, 2009


Charity homes built by Hollywood start to crumble


John Harlow in Los Angeles


RESIDENTS of a model housing estate bankrolled by Hollywood celebrities and
hand-built by Jimmy Carter, the former US president, are complaining that it
is falling apart.


Fairway Oaks was built on northern Florida wasteland by 10,000 volunteers,
including Carter, in a record 17-day “blitzö organised by the charity Habitat
for Humanity.


Eight years later it is better known for cockroaches, mildew and mysterious
skin rashes.


A forthcoming legal battle over Fairway Oaks threatens the reputation of a
charity envied for the calibre of its celebrity supporters, who range from
Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt to Colin Firth, Christian Bale and Helena Bonham
Carter.


The case could challenge the bedrock philosophy behind Habitat for Humanity,
claiming that using volunteers, rather than professional builders, is causing
as many problems as it solves.


April Charney, a lawyer representing many of the 85 homeowners in Fairway
Oaks, said she had no problems taking on Habitat for Humanity, despite its
status as a “darling of liberal social activistsö. She said the charity should
have told people that part of the estate had been built on a rubbish dump.


One man pulled up his floorboards to find rubbish 5ft deep under his kitchen.
Other complaints include cracking walls and rotting door frames that let in
rats and ants. Many residents have complained of mildew and mysterious skin
rashes.


One resident said her children were suffering from skin complaints. “The
intentions are good, but when the politicians and big-shot stars have left
we’re stuck with the consequences. This house looks pretty but inside it
either stinks or sweats, she said.





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