Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976 on Koinonia Farm, a progressive Christian community outside Americus, Georgia. The organization was formed to implement “partnership housing,” a model of charity that the Fullers devised in collaboration with Koinonia founder Clarence Jordan. According to this model, people with surplus time, money and labor volunteer to work shoulder-to-shoulder with a family in need to build and finance a new home. As the owners pay off an affordable mortgage, that money replenishes a revolving fund, providing capital for the next building project.

A key principle of partnership housing is that it does not represent a handout. Rather, the new homeowner is an equal partner in the transaction, as well as a contributor to the home of the next family. For their part, volunteers are rewarded by the experience of connecting with their neighbors, nurturing community and helping to build a more just and equitable world.

In its first five years, Habitat built 342 houses in the U.S. and several other countries, demonstrating the soundness and broad applicability of its concept. In the mid-1980s, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined Habitat’s efforts, bringing new visibility to the organization and catalyzing its rapid national and international growth.

Since then, Habitat has grown into a billion-dollar social enterprise with a vast global footprint. The organization partners with governments, corporations and other non-profits in all 50 U.S. states and more than 70 countries to build homes, strengthen communities and advocate for policy reform. Through these ongoing efforts, Habitat continues to make decent, affordable shelter more accessible to low-income and historically underserved families.

Habitat believes that housing is a fundamental human right and an essential building block for stable families and vibrant communities. Today’s housing shortage represents a growing global crisis. Furthermore, low-income families living in substandard housing are disproportionately impacted by the increasing number and severity of climate- and weather-related disasters. As the world confronts these challenges, Habitat’s ability to translate human compassion and collective action into proven housing solutions is more urgently needed than ever.

Contributors: Maha Tazi, Erin Brown