Stories from Europe

Decent housing is a foundation for anyone to have a prosperous life. Land and property values, and rents have been going up recently. As a result, more and more people in Europe face problems finding a decent place to live.

To lower housing costs, we help make homes more energy efficient. It helps reduce energy poverty and minimizes climate change. We also advocate for accessible and affordable housing on local, national and international levels.

Who Can Afford Rising Rents?

Asia and Edik are refugees living in Poland. They had to move no fewer than seven times when landlords either upped the rent or turned them out in favor of tenants who could pay more.

Photo: a woman from Skopje wrapped in a blanked sitting on a sofa and reading a magazine

Winter, leave

The immersive film, Winter, Leave, made by Contrast in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, takes us to the center of the Balkan Peninsula. We explore what makes Skopje one of the most polluted cities in Europe.

Photo: Michal's studio apartment with a mural of a red ship

Once Unused Attic - Today Seven Studios

Young Poles who have aged out of the foster care find their home in seven newly renovated studios. Michal says he has never felt more grounded and is finishing his studies in history.

Photo: "broken homes" written on a broken house

A tale of housing crisis from England

Two young men have found their new home in an old Quakers house converted by Habitat for Humanity. The story of how they have ended up here tells a bigger story about housing crisis in England.

Making a Dream Come True

As a young girl, Nora Aghamalyan had two wishes. She always wanted to become an actress, and she always wanted to own her own home.

A Makeover for Yerevan

Armenia's capital city, Yerevan, is a testimony to its Soviet past. By the looks of its sharply deteriorating housing stock, it is a place that needs a makeover.

The warmest man in town

Robert decided to become the warmest man in town. And through Habitat's microfinance program, he managed to do just that.

Roof over their heads

Sitting in her a cheerful garden full of watermelon, peppers, and herbs you would never know that Shamsikhon's life was ever any different.

Three wise men

Meho, Ahmet, and Milenko realized the state was never going to sort out the problems with their condominium. So the three decided to take on this task.