Habitat for Humanity founder/president Millard Fuller has been working to promote decent, affordable housing for more than 30 years.

Homeownership: A Blessing from God

"I will make the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing." --Ezekiel 34:26

In the closing scene of the Habitat for Humanity video "Building Hope, Lives and Dreams" a very emotional new Habitat homeowner sits in front of her nearly completed house reflecting on the experience of becoming a homeowner. 

She says, "When I was going through all of the trials and tribulations of living in some terrible places, my friends said that I should just hold on because God had a blessing for me."

Then, with tears streaming down her face, she puts her hand over her eyes and quietly concludes, "Now, I have it.This is my blessing!"

Homeownership is a blessing to nearly a million people all across the United States and in scores of other countries who are now living in Habitat for Humanity houses.That blessing is manifest in many ways: better health, children doing better in school, improved family relations, stronger self image--and, most important of all, a huge infusion of hope into the lives of all family members.

I have personally witnessed the blessing of homeownership countless times as I have encountered Habitat homeowners in various settings around the world.

In Portland, Ore., for example, I met a family whose son was graduating that day from college, with highest honors and plans to enter medical school.The mother and father told me that having a good place to study was so important to his strong performance in school over the years of his growing up. Later in the day, when that young man walked across the stage to receive his college degree, he diverted his path from the line of graduates to come to where I was sitting on stage. He extended his hand to me and said simply, "Thank you for the house."

A mother in Pennsylvania wrote to Linda and me a few years ago to tell us that she and her husband were sure that their Habitat house had saved their little Timmy's life. He had been suffering from asthma, a condition that was aggravated by the mold and dampness of the shack they were living in.When the family moved to their new Habitat house,Timmy got well. We met that mother and the whole family, including Timmy, at a Habitat regional meeting some months later.They all came, and we had an emotional time of hugging and crying together, to the delight of the audience. Cameras were clicking and flashing all over the place.

When the hugging, crying, applauding and picture-taking were over, the family descended from the stage and little Timmy was heard to exclaim, "I like this job!"

Family members have been brought closer to God through the experience of getting a Habitat house. New friendships have been formed. Lives have been touched and transformed.And whole neighborhoods have been renewed and revitalized.

Is homeownership a blessing? You bet it is! And Habitat for Humanity brings that blessing to thousands of additional people year after year.

--Millard Fuller