As the nation observes this day of mourning for Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, we at Jericho Project wish to honor the impact and ethos of a leader whose fundamental belief in human rights included the dignity of a home.
As President, he advocated for policies to encourage more available housing to lower-income individuals. As one example, he signed into law the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980. This authorized an increase in Section 8 and public housing units that led to a then “milestone “ of 1 million families served. The wisdom of his vision was evident in the Act’s support for more resilient and vibrant cities, funding neighborhood and urban revitalization proven to reap multiples in investments and job creation.
Yet it was during his illustrious post-presidential career that he galvanized the nation – and the world – around the need for affordable housing. Not through legislation but through personal commitment. He did it by picking up a hammer.
It was here in New York City in 1984 that Jimmy Carter was shown a building in disrepair by the founder of Habitat for Humanity, then a small organization based near the Carter home in Plains, GA. In short order, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter organized a busload of people to travel to New York to pitch in on its renovation alongside the 19 families who would live there.
He would later say that this was “one of the most remarkable experiences of my life,” an extraordinary statement from a man who had led transformational health and human rights change around the world. And it was not fleeting: the Carters led annual week-long Carter Work Projects for Habitat for Humanity for 35 years, culminating in a community of 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries who built, renovated and repaired 4,470 homes.
For his personal, presidential, and humanitarian leadership, we salute President Carter, and vow to keep his legacy alive with our own commitment to the housing, health and happiness of our New York neighbors.
Tori Lyon
CEO, Jericho Project