San Antonio Chapter Sues Habitat International

The San Antonio affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International has filed suit against the national organization to protest terms of an agreement that all 1,600 local chapters were asked to sign by the end of 2007. While the San Antonio chapter is the only one to file suit thus far, The New York Times reports that dozens of other small affiliates have expressed similar concern about the agreement. It is not yet known how many chapters have refused to sign it.

Chapters that refuse to sign the agreement are no longer eligible for programs coordinated by Habitat International, such as corporate-giving programs, and will not be allowed to use the Habitat name.

Rene Diaz, chairman of the San Antonio Habitat’s board, explained that the chapter felt its operations and assets were at risk if it signed the contract. “This agreement gives them unilateral and total control over us,” he said. “If we fall out of favor, they could come in and take over everything, and we couldn’t do a thing about it.”

The chapter hopes that a favorable court ruling will allow it to continue to use the Habitat name without signing the agreement.

Chris Clarke, a spokesman for Habitat International, said officials had only recently learned of the lawsuit and could not “comment in detail about the allegations.” He added that the group is “confident of our right of ownership and our right to protect the Habitat for Humanity name.”

The San Antonio affiliate and Habitat International have discussed adjusting the agreement for over a year, but Mr. Diaz said that such meetings have proved fruitless. He said, “Unfortunately, none of our changes were addressed in a final draft that came to us sometime in late November.” Habitat International’s general counsel and a member of its executive committee are scheduled to meet with the San Antonio board on January 22.

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