Opening doors to decent housing in Tanzania
Building on 40 years of partnership and impact
A decent home is more than four walls and a roof. It can provide safety, a heathier environment for children and a pathway to opportunities.
For 40 years, Habitat for Humanity Tanzania has worked alongside multiple partners including communities, government, donors, civil society and the private sector to open doors to decent housing for more families in Tanzania. On September 30, these partners came together in Dar es Salaam to celebrate four decades of impact and look ahead to the next chapter of transforming lives through housing.
The testimonies shared at the celebration highlighted the difference access to decent housing has made for families and communities.
The celebration also marked Tanzania’s local activation of Habitat for Humanity’s global Let’s Open The Door campaign, bringing more people and partners together around a shared ambition: a Tanzania where every family has access to safe and decent housing.
Four decades of opening doors
Over the past 40 years, Habitat Tanzania’s work has evolved from building homes to addressing interconnected housing needs, including improving access to clean water and sanitation, supporting the use of better building materials, promoting environmentally sustainable practices and expanding access to clean solar energy. Through these efforts, Habitat Tanzania has reached more than 1.3 million people across the country.
As Magdalena George, National Director of Habitat Tanzania, noted during the celebration, the organization’s impact reflects the power of partnership and a shared commitment to ensuring that every family has the opportunity to live in a decent home.
Partnering for impact
The anniversary offered an opportunity to recognize the many people and organizations who have contributed to this progress, while reinforcing the need to continue working together to reach more families.
Speaking at the event, Mr Grace Lubaale, UN-Habitat Representative in Tanzania, emphasized the importance of working together to accelerate impact: “We are partners working toward the same goal. Let us use our resources together and find more innovative ways to collaborate.”
He highlighted opportunities to strengthen collaboration in advancing climate-resilient housing, an important priority as communities face the effects of climate change.
The importance of collaboration was echoed by Hon. Dr. Leonard Akwilapo, Minister of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting housing development, strengthening land-use planning and helping families secure land ownership an essential step towards improving housing conditions long-term stability.
Opening the door to the next chapter
The event also marked the launch of Habitat Tanzania’s five-year strategy for 2025–2029, setting the direction for its next phase of work. Through the Lets Open The Door campaign, Habitat Tanzania is bringing this ambition to life, creating a shared platform to deepen existing partnerships, invite more stakeholders to the table, encourage innovative housing approaches and mobilize the resources needed to respond to the scale of housing challenges across Tanzania. As Habitat Tanzania Board Chair Neema Ndikumwani reflected, the next chapter will require building on lessons learned, strengthening partnerships and expanding collective action so that even more communities can benefit from decent housing: “We encourage continued efforts to build on what has been achieved, learn from our experiences, strengthen partnerships, increase our efforts, and mobilize more resources so that we can reach even more communities,” Said Neema.
Join us in opening more doors
The story of Habitat Tanzania’s first 40 years is ultimately a story of what is possible when communities and partners come together around a shared vision.
We invite governments, businesses, donors, development organizations and communities to join us in opening more doors. Together, we can help ensure that every family has access to a safe and decent place to call home.
Learn more about Habitat for Humanity Tanzania: https://www.habitat.org/where-we-build/tanzania
Support Habitat Tanzania by designating your gift to Tanzania: https://www.habitat.org/donate