Dear friends of the Quixote Center,

Tropical storm Isaac hit Haiti on Saturday leaving at least 19 people dead, washing out roads, and destroying shelters for many of the 300,000+ people still living in the camps for the internally displaced. As the storm was approaching there was some effort to evacuate people to safety. However, the scope of the displacement from the earthquake 32 months ago remains so great that there would have been little way to provide shelter for most people and little will to do so. Finally, many people in IDP camps felt compelled to stay with their belongings, as all they have in the world remains under tents. All this makes for even greater risk for Haitians.

This situation underscores the urgency to create and implement a national social housing plan in Haiti now. The government of Haiti has thus far not been willing to do so, and international donor governments (including the U.S.) have not made this a priority. Indeed, money spent from USAID has not built a single home. The signature project of USAID is a zone for sweatshops and a housing initiative for future workers in northern Haiti that has been condemned by an architectural peer review committee.

Please take a moment to sign the petition to demand a social housing plan and to halt forced evictions from camps until the plan is done. No one wants to live under a tent – but until there is an alternative, forcing people to the streets is hardly the answer! You can keep up with developments at the undertentshaiti.com website, and by following #undertentshaiti on Twitter.