Habitat at Work

Habitat for Humanity International builds, rehabilitates and repairs simple, decent houses with the help of homeowner (known as “partner”) families, volunteer labor, and donations of money and materials. Architects, engineers, bricklayers, mason, carpenters and other professionals and skilled workers are employed for specialist jobs.

The cost of the work varies. A new house can cost from as little as US$1,000 in some parts of Asia. Costs depend on location, labor, land and material costs, and ancillary development expenses.

Habitat houses are sold to home partner families at no profit. Home partners repay through affordable, no-profit, inflation-adjusted mortgage loans. Mortgage lengths vary from four to 30 years, though most are around six to eight years. Their monthly mortgage payments go into a local revolving fund to be used to build still more Habitat homes. In short, Habitat for Humanity is not a “giveaway” program.

Home partners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor – “sweat equity” – into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. Home partner families are selected based on their level of need, their ability to repay the loan and their willingness to work in partnership with Habitat.

Additional “muscle” for construction comes from volunteers from within the country or all over the world. Volunteers hail from corporations, churches, schools, among other organizations. Some projects involve “speed building” where one home, or a community of homes, are worked on by a large number of volunteers over a weekend or a week. The annual Jimmy Carter Work Projects are major volunteer events.

Habitat for Humanity's work in the region is accomplished by its Habitat Resource Centers, affiliates and partner organizations.

Habitat Resource Centers broaden the reach of Habitat’s home-building programs in one or more of these principal services  construction services; skills training; disaster response and housing microfinance.

Affiliates are independent, locally-run, non-profit volunteer groups. They secure building sites, organizes mortgage services, fund-raising and donations of materials, as well as house construction using volunteers and sometimes paid specialist construction workers.

Partner organizations contribute expertise and/or financial resources, and often volunteer labor to strengthen the impact of Habit’s programs. Other groups, particularly non-governmental organizations and government-linked bodies, contribute services and facilities that Habitat home partner families need to live fully transformed lives in thriving and secure communities.

The work of the affiliates and resource centers in a country is coordinated and supported by national offices. These legally independent entities are overseen by their own boards of directors or trustees and staffed by experts in construction technology, financial management, resource development and fund raising.

Habitat uses a variety of innovative approaches to funding and offers a variety of ways for partner families to become Habitat homeowners.