Impact

Impact

See the impact our work together has around the world.

Decent, affordable shelter provides families with a place to gather and grow. Even more, by working with Habitat to achieve affordable homeownership, families can transform their lives.

Affordable homeownership helps create the conditions that free families from stress and fear, helping build stability and confidence. Studies show that strong and stable households are foundational to child development and growth. When a home fosters — instead of hinders — health and safety, families can flourish. Owning an affordable home also allows homeowners to lift up their entire family by saving for their futures and investing in educational opportunities — bolstering job opportunities and long-term career growth.

Data and surveys on our impact

Surveys of Habitat homeowners and their families show better financial health, parents who are more confident about meeting their family’s needs, and even improved grades for their children since purchasing a Habitat home:

  • 65% reported better physical health in the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership impact survey.
  • 80% of children’s grades improved and 41% of adults completed an educational or job training program, Chatham Habitat for Humanity in Pittsboro found in a 2021 homeownership impact survey.
  • 94% of homeowners now feel safe in their homes and 98% said that owning a home improved how they felt about themselves, according to Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s 2021 social impact study.
  • 57% of families have more savings and 48% of families feel more connected to the community, a survey of Habitat for Humanity Greater Sacramento’s first 100 families found.

Read about our impact

  • Through a research series highlighted below, Habitat is bringing to light evidence on the barriers to affordable housing and the incredible impact that removing these barriers has on individuals and families in the U.S. and around the globe.
  • You can catch a glimpse of Habitat’s impact on our stories page or our online collection of Habitat magazine issues, where homeowners and volunteers share how Habitat’s vision of decent and affordable housing for all has changed their lives.

Wherever we work, we witness tangible evidence that decent, affordable shelter creates long-lasting and life-changing impact on families and communities.

The impact of decent, affordable housing

How housing affects child development

Growing up in a decent, affordable home can have a powerful effect on children. Studies draw a straight line between the quality, location and affordability of housing and a child’s ability to thrive.

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Evidence briefs

Read research summaries about housing solutions and the impacts of affordable housing

 

Evidence brief: Affordable accessory dwelling units

Read research highlights to learn how accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, can help improve access to affordable housing for low-income households and more accessible housing for older adults. Plus, find out how four Habitat for Humanity affiliates are working to implement ADUs in their communities.

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Research series: How does housing affect energy efficiency?

Families with low incomes face the double burden of high costs for housing and energy despite the tendency to consume less energy. Offering energy-efficient homes to these households can reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and the homes’ energy costs and resulting energy burden.

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Research series: Outcomes associated with homeownership

Improving affordable homeownership leads to numerous outcomes that extend beyond the house to areas ranging from community engagement to education​​​​​. This evidence brief provides an overview of how families can prosper with greater access to decent, affordable housing.

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Research series: How does housing impact health?

The CDC identified housing as an important social determinant of health, highlighting the link between where people live and their health. This evidence brief summarizes research on key factors to improving health through housing in populations with low incomes and illustrates how the work of Habitat for Humanity contributes to positive health outcomes.

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Stories

Read stories about how Habitat for Humanity is making an impact in your community and around the world.

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Habitat magazine

Our Habitat magazine illustrates the mission at the center of all our work – ensuring people in our communities and around the world can achieve the safety and stability of affordable homeownership. Journey through the impact of Habitat with our collection of Habitat magazine issues.

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