| Habitat for Humanity

Britam and Habitat for Humanity expand partnership to strengthen property insurance penetration rate in Kenya.

May 08, 2024

NAIROBI (April, 2024) - Britam General Insurance and Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) – Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to tackle the low market penetration of property insurance, which currently stands at 0.5%. It is estimated that one third of Kenyans are at heightened risk of property loss.

Habitat for Humanity International Joins Call to Alleviate Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

April 29, 2024

ATLANTA, GA (April 26, 2024) — Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, has co-signed a letter with InterAction, a leading alliance of NGOs and partners in the United States, and 50 other member CEOs, urging President Biden to take decisive and actionable steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

New initiative to address energy poverty in central and eastern Europe

April 22, 2024

BRUSSELS, 10 April, 2024 – A new project has launched to respond to sluggish renovation rates of residential buildings and high energy poverty levels in Central and Eastern Europe by empowering local communities and developing Neighourhood Energy Sufficiency Roadmaps.

Inclusive housing finance: Unlocking stability in the face of climate emergencies

Climate change poses a significant threat to housing security, particularly for low-income communities. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires, are becoming more frequent and severe. Furthermore, sea level rise poses an increasing threat to families and their homes in low-lying coastal regions.

Happy and healthy in a Habitat home

The moment their Habitat for Humanity home was completed, Gabriela, Valentin and their 2-year-old daughter, Evelina moved in – even though it was Christmas Eve. “We were so excited to start the new year in our home,” says Gabriela. So excited, in fact, that the young family only brought a mattress and Christmas tree with them on move-in day.

Finding Laughter Again: Syrian Family's New Life in Jordan

In 2012, Mustafa’s typical day as a cab driver in Syria took an abrupt turn. During a routine exchange with a passenger about the ongoing war, he made a passing jest about a statue of the Syrian president. This offhand remark led to his arrest and brutal imprisonment two days later.

The Cretu family: building more than a home

In the modest embrace of their Holboca commune apartment, the Cretu family finds joy in the simple things: the children’s daily tales from school, shared meals, and laughter. Andreea, a nurse, and Marius, a construction worker, have built a life that honors commitment and love.

Building capacity for greater impact

“We used to have very small apartments,” Alma Mushi says of Albania’s Communist period from 1944 to 1991. Alma serves as deputy marketing director for Fondi BESA, Albania’s largest microfinance institution. “In my father’s house, there were eight or nine people living in two rooms and one kitchen. Everyone was living like that, with two or three sons (and their wives) in the same small apartment.”

Building capacity for greater impact

Valbona Xhafa, regional manager at Fondi BESA, emphasizes the deep cultural value placed on homeownership in Albania: “We Albanians are very sensitive about our houses. We all want to [own] houses. That’s what it means to live well.” This widespread desire for better living conditions drove Fondi BESA to introduce a new housing loan product in 2021, backed by an investment from MicroBuild. The initial rollout of this product faced challenges, as Alma notes: “We’d had the product for more than a year, but we were hardly disbursing any housing loans.”