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Habitat for Humanity Europe, Middle East and Africa

The latest housing updates

from Habitat for Humanity

Drone shot of houses with a backdrop of a hill

Malawi puts housing at the heart of climate resilience

For the first time, Malawi has explicitly recognised housing as part of its climate response strategy, marking an important shift in how the country approaches resilience and adaptation.

A woman holds a mangrove seedling and a thumbs up

Restoring mangroves, opening the door to coastal resilience in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana

For thousands of coastal families in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, a safe home depends not only on strong walls and roofs, but also on healthy ecosystems. Mangroves serve as a natural barrier against flooding, erosion and storm surges, helping protect homes, livelihoods and communities from the growing impacts of climate change.To mark the 2026 World Mangrove Day, Habitat for Humanity joined partners including UN-Habitat Côte d’Ivoire and ActionAid Ghana alongside communities to launch large-scale mangrove restoration activities under the Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities (IRCC) Project, supported by the Adaptation Fund.

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Opening the door to health, dignity and resilience in Kenya: From jigger-free homes to stronger, healthier manyattas in Maasai communities.

Many families live in homes that are poorly ventilated. Homes built without durable materials crumble under the pressure of changing climate, demanding constant repair while bare mud floors harbour parasites that impact the health and dignity of the families living in them. These are not isolated problems. The connection between inadequate housing and poor health is direct, documented but too often overlooked.

Photo: a women and two children from Zambia sitting on stairs in front of their house

Africa

In Africa we empower low-income people to build a better life for themselves and their children.

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Inside a flat in Lebanon - two girls and their mother reading a book together

The Middle East

Our mission in the Middle East is to build a safe and stable environment where families and communities can thrive.

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Europe

More and more people in Europe face problems to find a decent place to live. We help to make homes affordable.

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Press releases

New research: Financial Instruments for Renovation of Vacant Spaces in Europe

June 05, 2026

Across Europe, millions of buildings stand empty while people struggle to find affordable places to live. HFHI conducted this research to better understand which financial mechanisms and models are most effective in converting vacant spaces into affordable housing. Looking across different European cities, the study examines how tools like loans, grants, revolving funds, and blended finance actually perform in practice - and why some approaches succeed while others fall short.

Roma Housing: Who Will Take Responsibility?

May 13, 2026

As housing finally rises on the EU’s political agenda, one question remains largely unanswered: where do Europe’s most marginalised communities – especially Roma – fit into the European affordable housing agenda?For decades, housing sat at the margins of EU policy, constrained by Treaty limits and fragmented national competences. That era is ending. Today, housing affordability, availability, and adequacy are discussed at the highest political levels, with new initiatives, task forces, and funding debates underway. This is a welcome shift, but it also creates a responsibility: when the EU sets the direction, it must ensure no one is left behind. At present, Roma housing risks being exactly that: left behind.

Every Step Counts: GF Employees in Austria GF Walk for Water to Support Families in Slovakia

May 11, 2026

This year, employees of Georg Fischer in Loosdorf, Austria, will once again lace up their walking shoes for a cause that reaches far beyond the trail ahead of them. On 11 June 2026, as part of the global GF Walk for Water 2026 initiative, colleagues, partners, and supporters will come together in a powerful expression of solidarity — raising awareness and funds to help families gain access to something many of us take for granted every day: safe water, sanitation, and a healthy place to call home.

Let’s Open the Door Comes to London: A Powerful Global Exhibition You Don’t Want to Miss

May 10, 2026

This May, London will become one of only two cities outside the United States to host Habitat for Humanity’s extraordinary global pop-up experience, Let’s Open the Door — an immersive art installation designed to spark conversation, inspire action and remind us all why home matters.For two days only, on May 29 and 30, 2026, visitors in Covent Garden will have the chance to step into a one-of-a-kind exhibition featuring striking artistic doors, real homeowner stories and a global call to action around the housing crisis.

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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.”

Uniting through building: Habitat for Humanity's volunteer effort in Romania

Dozens of corporate professionals from all around the world. Different backgrounds. Different experiences. But united for the same cause. To help build houses with families that deserve a new beginning.

What you need to know about the Africa Housing Forum

The first Africa Housing Forum is rapidly approaching, and we can’t wait to lead off the discussions on the future of African cities. This hybrid event will take place both virtually and in-person at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya on 12 – 14 May 2022.

Housing Poverty in Romania: A New Housing Model

Habitat for Humanity Romania has recently launched a pilot project which aims to find the most cost-effective housing solution. There have been 6 buildings already built. Is it possible to build a house in 5 days? Find out more in this episode with our guest Roberto Pătrășcoiu - national director of Habitat for Humanity Romania.

Climate Change and Housing: How Must Our Homes Adapt

Climate change affects all areas of our daily lives. Recent study published by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change says that Climate change is already affecting every inhabited region across the world. Do our homes need to change or has the process already started? How can we save energy? This and much more in the first episode of season 2 of Home Sapiens Podcast with our speaker Besim Nebiu.

What is a slum?

In episode 3 of our podcast series, we talk about informal settlements in Africa with Charles Witbooi, Program Head for Advocacy and Volunteering Engagement at Habitat for Humanity South Africa.

Studying by candlelight

Episode 5 is driven by young enthusiasts. Linus Wahome, founder and CEO of ManPro Systems Ltd, shares his childhood and school memories . As a family of three tried hard to provide best conditions for their children, Linus and his siblings had to share one candle while doing their homework. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.

Equality in an unequal society

Episode 4 brings up the issue of gender equality. We take a closer look at customs and traditions in Lesotho. Stories of women evicted from their homes are typical in many communities in this country. Fungai Mukorah, national director of Habitat for Humanity Lesotho, walks us through women’s experiences and their fight for shelter.

Understanding housing in the Middle East and the impact of the Syrian crisis

Almost a decade since the start of the Syrian crisis, the hardships and suffering of millions of Syrians continues. More than half the Syrian population has been displaced, and over 5 million are registered as refugees in neighbouring countries.

COVID-19: Housing at the Center

Since COVID-19 pandemic first broke out in China in December 2019, affecting over 199 countries to date, it has brought the plight of poverty, inequality and the lack of services and opportunity into the spotlight and underscored one glaring reality.

Measuring and Reporting Social Impact

Ethical Corporation by Reuters Events hosts a one-hour webinar with senior leaders sharing their practical ideas on how to approach measuring and reporting social impact. This discussion is moderated by Heather Alner, EMEA Resource Development Director, Habitat for Humanity International.

Malawi puts housing at the heart of climate resilience

For the first time, Malawi has explicitly recognised housing as part of its climate response strategy, marking an important shift in how the country approaches resilience and adaptation.

Stories

Habitat for Humanity Europe, Middle East and Africa

The latest housing updates

from Habitat for Humanity

Stories from Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Press releases

All stories