Danuwar family from Kavre in Nepal

About us

Asia-Pacific

A world where everyone has a decent place to live

The need for adequate housing solutions in Asia-Pacific is immense. Based on the United Nations data, half of the world’s poor — those living on less than US$1.90 a day — are in this region. Amid rapid urbanization, one in two slum dwellers calls Asia-Pacific home. A person living in Asia-Pacific is also five times more likely than someone living outside of it to be hit by a disaster, increasing the risk of losing his or her home.

Through shelter, we empower

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort, growing to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries. In the Asia-Pacific region since 1983, Habitat has supported millions of people to build or improve a place they can call home. We are active in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

How Habitat works

For decades, Habitat for Humanity has set the stage for families, volunteers, donors and supporters to come together, to build decent homes that provide the foundation for a better life. Working in a region as diverse as Asia-Pacific calls for collaborative and innovative approaches to complex housing issues. We need people-public-private partnerships to facilitate better access to adequate and affordable housing and to develop more inclusive housing markets.

Leveraging partnerships

Habitat for Humanity works closely with all sectors — community, public, private and civic — to create a tangible difference in the lives of families through adequate, affordable housing. Volunteers are known as the hands and hearts of Habitat’s work. International volunteers on Global Village builds or local volunteers at build sites contribute their labor while others raise funds or make a donation. There are also those who provide technical expertise and many more who speak up for the need for decent housing.

Among our tireless champions are volunteer leaders on the Asia-Pacific Development Council. Influential in the corporate and philanthropy sectors, they provide strategic leadership and direction for Habitat for Humanity’s program and resource development initiatives in the region.

We believe that the youths are today’s leaders who will enable us to achieve inclusive, sustainable and resilient cities and human settlements. Habitat for Humanity’s Young Leaders Build campaign rallies youths from across the Asia-Pacific region to take the lead and motivate their peers to build homes and communities, on a Habitat build site and/or online. The youths also raise awareness and funds and lend their voice in support of adequate, affordable housing.

Through generous donors and gifts-in-kind, Habitat makes affordable housing available to families in need of decent homes. Working with microfinance institutions, we provide families with options for affordable loans. By partnering with foundations, organizations and institutions, we catalyze multi-year, multi-component community and sector building projects for greater impact.

In 2018, Habitat marked 35 years of building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter in the Asia-Pacific region. Zhimin’s father had built a new home in Guangzhou, southern China, with Habitat more than 10 years ago. Now that he is a father, Zhimin plans to add another story to the house so that his two daughters can have their own rooms. He says: “I feel very happy that my children are growing up in a safe and clean home. They don’t have to face the tough life that I had when I was young.” Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org/asiapacific.

A brief recap of over three decades of Habitat’s work in Asia and the Pacific.

Newsroom - Asia-Pacific

Habitat for Humanity’s Asia-Pacific newsroom covers press releases on our partnerships with donors and supporters. Read more about what we have achieved together.

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