Let’s Open the Door

Yana (32), her mother Liliia (55), and her daughter Marta (3) from Cherkasy, Ukraine at their Habitat-subsidized apartment in Warsaw, Poland.

Home is the foundation on which we build our lives. 

But every day 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe affordable housing.  

We’re working to change that. We know safe, affordable housing sparks wider change, leading to better health, education and well-being, more economic growth, and less poverty.

That’s why we have helped people around the world build, improve or finance places to call home for more than 50 years. Together with supporters like you, we’ve built a mission — and a movement.

Now, we’re building on that momentum. Through hands-on builds, pop-up exhibits, compelling new research and powerful storytelling, we’re bringing housing to the center stage at a global scale.  

Because housing matters. With safe, stable homes, families have the freedom to focus on what matters most, empowering them to build their future on their own terms.

It all starts with an open door. 

Explore Let's Open the Door

Learn more about our global efforts as we celebrate 50 years of building with families and communities.

Learn more

Did you know?

Across the European Union: 

15% of the population live in below standard living conditions.

House prices surged by 53% and rents by 25% between 2010-2024.

Over 40 million people struggle to heat their homes.

Across the Middle East and North Africa:

7.8 million people were forcibly displaced or stateless by mid-2025

Vertical photo of an abandoned building that will become a part of Empty Spaces featuring stone colored walls and broken open windows.

Empty Spaces in Poland

In Poland, 1.8 million properties sit empty while hundreds of thousands of people struggle to find a decent, affordable home. We’re closing that gap. Through our Empty Spaces to Homes initiative, we turn these abandoned buildings into safe, energy-efficient homes in partnership with those who need them most. 

Read more
Teaser artwork from the London door pop-up. Illustrated image of someone reading a book on their bed.

Habitat doors are popping up

Keep an eye out as Habitat doors start popping up in cities around the world – including in London! Featuring impact stories paired with original work from a local artist, these doors are sparking critical conversations about why home matters. 

Pop in!

Explore more

  • A child's legs run out past an open white front door toward his mother who is standing and smiling in the front yard.

    Let's Open the Door

    Over the past fifty years, we have helped more than 65 million people around the world build, improve or finance places to call home. Now, we’re building on that momentum.

    Learn more
  • A woman stands smiling and wearing a blue sari with polka dots in front of a white wall and brown door.

    Let's Open the Door stories

    Behind every open door is a story. As we build on fifty years of making home possible, we’re highlighting some of the people and innovations at the heart of our mission.

    Read more