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India’s rivers are paying the price for its construction boom, with illegal sand mining deepening riverbeds and worsening floods. But a quiet revolution is underway—driven by M-sand, a sustainable alternative backed by local innovators and supported by the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS), an initiative led by Habitat for Humanity and supported by the Hilti Foundation. Together, they’re making it easier for families to build safe, affordable homes without harming the environment. With each new house built on M-sand, a more resilient and responsible future takes shape.

Grace January suddenly heard people shouting ‘Water! Water! Water!‘ Her house was taken by flood in the aftermath of the Cyclone Idai. Help her to rebuild it.

Ana Carolina Gomes, Associate Director for Strategy and Operations at Habitat for Humanity International, is leading efforts to address the gap of over 30 million homes in Europe sitting vacant and 900,000 people being homeless each night. At the World Urban Forum organized by UN-Habitat in November 2024, she outlined Habitat for Humanity’s plan to repurpose vacant buildings—a strategy that combines social impact with environmental responsibility. The goal is to increase affordvble housing while also reducing carbon emissions. 

As climate change continues to impact our planet, transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar power (PV) has never been more urgent. Not only do these sources help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they also enhance energy independence. This is where the SUNRISE project comes in. 

Excel Coatings is leading the charge in transforming homes across India with its affordable, sustainable cooling solution, Excel CoolCoat. This innovative product is helping families combat extreme summer heat, offering relief without the high cost of air conditioning. Discover how this simple, eco-friendly solution is reshaping the way millions live through the hottest months.

Interview with MEP Jan Olbrycht about cities today. Can cities cooperate with each other across continents? Will cultural differences allow it?

2,455 families to benefit from the house building component of a Euro 14 million grant

In Shuto Orizari, a culturally rich municipality in North Macedonia, lives the Salievski family. This area is known for its vibrant Roma community, which has faced significant social and economic challenges over the years. The family consists of Senad Salievski, his wife Elvira, their three sons aged 9, 12, and 14, and their 4-year-old daughter. Despite the odds, Senad is determined to provide a better life for his family.

 Every home holds a story, and for many families, the journey to finding a safe and secure place to live is filled with incredible challenges. In 2024, Habitat for Humanity organized hundreds of volunteering activities across our network all over the world, bringing hope and support to countless communities. In Romania in particular, over 270 dedicated volunteers helped transform lives through 3 big accelerated volunteering build events called Hope Build. As part of these efforts, eight families moved closer to their dream of having a home they can call their own. On this International Volunteer Day, we celebrate the resilience of these families and the generosity of those who built alongside them. 

Through Habitat’s Disaster Response, and with the help of volunteers and donors like you, we are able to provide shelter assistance, education, training and partnerships to the affected individuals who find themselves in unthinkable situations.