As governments worldwide cut back on aid, Better Shelter launches a new fund to protect the right to a home.
Never before have so many people been forcibly displaced. In response to significant reductions in international aid, the Swedish non-profit organisation Better Shelter launches a new fund for philanthropists and businesses. The aim is to help people who have been forced to flee their homes regain a sense of safety and stability, even in the face of displacement.
Home is where we spend most of our time, create our dearest memories, search for jobs, and help our children with homework. It’s life’s most important place – and a human right. At the same time, around 120 million people are displaced due to conflict and disaster. Many live without proper housing, often spending not just years, but decades, in refugee camps.
Fifteen years ago, Sweden’s Better Shelter invented a flat-pack shelter that can be assembled in just a few hours and upgraded over time. As global displacement increases, driven by war, conflict, and climate disasters, while humanitarian aid is decreasing, Better Shelter is launching a fund to give more people the most vital thing of all: a home.
“We must all help those who are vulnerable – and we must do it now. A home is not just protection from the elements. It’s where life and everyday routines can continue,” says Johan Karlsson, co-founder of Better Shelter. “As global needs rise, many governments have decided to reduce international aid, which is deeply concerning. When the public sector steps back, businesses and philanthropists must step forward. Through our fund, donors can come together to provide the most essential place in life – a home.”
The philanthropic fund, “The Better Fund”, is designed to rapidly provide displaced people with a robust and dignified shelter until they can return home. A donation of SEK 100,000 can provide five families with a roof over their heads for years to come.
The fund focuses on “forgotten crises” and supports emergency relief and long-term needs.
Funding from the IKEA Foundation to Better Shelter has been placed in the Better Fund to kickstart the initiative and inspire more donors to join.
Better Shelter’s award-winning shelters have received international acclaim; two are exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale until November.
One will also be displayed at Hamnplan in Visby during the Almedalen Week, June 23–27.
About the fund
Better Fund is Better Shelter’s new philanthropic fund for rapid and sustained humanitarian response. The fund primarily targets businesses, foundations, and philanthropists in Sweden and internationally. A donation of SEK 100,000 provides five families with a durable, weather-resistant, and reusable home for several years. The fund focuses on forgotten crises and supports preparedness, emergency response and long-term needs.
About Better Shelter
Better Shelter is a non-profit humanitarian organisation based in Stockholm.
Over ten years ago, we began developing temporary shelters to give displaced people a safer, more dignified life until they can rebuild in a permanent home. Since 2015, we have delivered nearly 100,000 shelters to 90 countries, improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced people in collaboration with humanitarian NGOs, UN agencies, philanthropic foundations, and academic institutions – including UNHCR, the IKEA Foundation, and the Red Cross. More information: bettershelter.org
Contact
Märta Terne, Head of Communications / marta.terne@bettershelter.org / +46702991880
