In an extraordinary act of rebellion, the oldest affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International has filed suit to protest a new agreement that the nonprofit housing organization is imposing on its 1,600 local chapters. The San Antonio affiliate, which built the first Habitat house, is seeking a court ruling that would allow it to continue to use the Habitat name without signing the agreement, which it contends gives the international organization too much power over its assets and operations.
"We have about $21 million in buildings and other tangible and intangible assets that we've acquired over 31 years on our own, and this agreement gives them unilateral and total control over us," said Rene Diaz, chairman of the San Antonio Habitat's board and a professional mediator. "If we fall out of favor, they could come in and take over everything and we couldn't do a thing about it."
Chris Clarke, a spokesman for Habitat International, said it was not aware of the lawsuit until 4 p.m. Tuesday. "Having only received the complaint within the last couple of hours," Mr. Clarke said, "we cannot comment in detail about the allegations but are confident of our right of ownership and our right to protect the Habitat for Humanity name." Habitat International's general counsel and a member of its executive committee are scheduled to meet with the San Antonio board on Jan. 22.
San Antonio is one of an unknown number of Habitat affiliates that refused to sign the agreement by Dec. 31, the deadline set by Habitat International, as the national organization is known. Habitat affiliates in New Orleans, Birmingham, Ala., and Tulsa, as well as dozens of other smaller affiliates, have expressed concern about the agreement for months.
Mr. Clarke said that "a majority" of the affiliates had signed the agreement and that many others had asked for extensions of the deadline. He said he could not provide a precise tally because the organization was still opening mail that had arrived over the holidays.
Since the new year, Habitat International has been contacting those affiliates who have not signed the agreement or filed for an extension, making it clear they are no longer regarded as in "good standing." That means they are no longer eligible for programs Habitat International has centralized, like corporate giving programs from companies like Whirlpool and Dow Chemical, which supply appliances and construction materials for houses the affiliates build.
The San Antonio affiliate and Habitat International had been wrangling over the agreement for more than a year, and last spring, Larry Gluth, Habitat International's vice president for United States affiliate field operations, flew to San Antonio and met with the entire board.
"After that, we prepared a very extensive response at great cost with an attorney's help," Mr. Diaz said. "Unfortunately, none of our changes were addressed in a final draft that came to us sometime in late November."
Habitat has been rocked by internal dissent ever since the board dismissed Millard Fuller, a founder of the organization, in 2005 over accusations that he had improperly touched a female subordinate, which he has denied and the board itself said it could not substantiate.
Mr. Fuller and his wife, Linda, who founded Habitat with him, then started the Fuller Center for Housing, and at least two small Habitat affiliates have become Fuller Centers. Several former employees of Habitat affiliates have left to start Fuller Centers in their communities.
Karen Robison, who recently resigned as the executive director of the Habitat affiliate in Denton, Tex., and has started a Fuller Center there, said she thought some affiliates might follow San Antonio's example. "I think it's come to a time in t
Source: NYtimes.com