Habitat’s disaster resilience and recovery efforts
August 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Our response to the storm was a major moment for the organization – unrivaled in our U.S. network’s history. Local affiliates, volunteers and partners came together to lead a coordinated rebuilding effort for long-term recovery across the Gulf Coast. This response was rivaled in scale only by our international network’s recovery efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami the year before.
Explore the photo gallery to see how Habitat’s Katrina response began at Rockefeller Plaza in NYC and grew into a nationwide movement.
Resilience powered by innovative practices and partnerships
Habitat’s continued disaster resilience and long-term recovery work is powered by innovative building practices and pioneering partnerships. Read on to learn how Habitat homes were the only ones to withstand Hurricane Michael and the Haiti earthquake, and how our global response in Ukraine continues to help millions access safe shelter amid crises.
2025: Habitat’s innovative partnership leads to first rebuild permit in Altadena
A closeup map of the extent of the January 2025 Eaton Fire in Altadena, where the fire destroyed thousands of structures and killed more than a dozen people. (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, author Penitentes)
San Gabriel Valley Habitat was the first organization to receive a rebuild permit in Altadena after the LA County fires. Through an innovative partnership with the Foothill Catalog Foundation, Habitat introduced preapproved home designs that dramatically accelerated the permitting process. This approach removes key barriers to reconstruction, allowing low-income, underinsured and uninsured families to save time and money to rebuild.
At the kickoff event, Walls of Hope, about 500 volunteers came together to construct wall panels for future homes — demonstrating Habitat’s leadership in community-driven recovery. This partnership sets a new standard for post-disaster rebuilding — increasing rebuilding speed and creating affordability for families.
2022: Habitat’s Ukraine Response
Habitat for Humanity is in partnership with CRS supporting light and medium repairs and winterization upgrades in Ukraine. Milova is a community in the recently liberated and former frontline in Kharkiv Oblast of eastern Ukraine. Thousands of houses, apartment blocks and schools in the area have been damaged by shelling, tank fire and airstrikes.
Since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, more than 9 million people have been displaced across Ukraine and into neighboring countries. Habitat has been responding from the start of the war — partnering with local and global agencies to deliver emergency shelter, short-, mid- and long-term housing solutions.
Our efforts include:
- Housing arrangements with host families
- Home and infrastructure repairs
- Refurbishing communal spaces
- Repurposing vacant buildings
- Rental subsidies and social rental programs
- Energy modernization by retrofitting basements for air raid shelter, stoves for winter heating and deploying solar solutions where infrastructure has been destroyed.
Read our 2-Year Report on the Ukraine Response
Donate to Support Habitat’s Ukraine Response
2021: Habitat’s TECLA Homes Withstand Haiti Earthquake
After a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti in August 2021, more than 130,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Amid the devastation, the 296 homes built by Habitat remained standing, with only 2% requiring major repairs. These homes were constructed using our TECLA model, which blends traditional Haitian architecture with modern engineering to withstand disasters. TECLA preserves cultural heritage and empowers communities through training and participation.
Originally built after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, these homes now stand as a testament to the power of resilient, local and culturally rooted housing in saving lives and mitigating damages.
Learn more about TECLA and Habitat’s resilient building practices in Haiti.
2018: Habitat’s homes with low-cost reinforcements withstand Hurricane Michael
Five Habitat for Humanity houses, center, stood firm during Hurricane Michael even as an adjacent trailer park saw heavy damage. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
When Hurricane Michael tore through Florida’s Panhandle, five Habitat homes in Panama City remained largely intact suffering only minor damage. The homes were built with low-cost reinforcements like metal roofs, hurricane ties, thicker lumber, and reinforced roof-to-wall connections to help withstand extreme weather. As reported by The Washington Post, this proved that affordable homes can be built to endure powerful storms. Building climate resilient homes does not require costly investments. Even a few extra nails and metal connectors during construction can dramatically improve a home’s ability to weather storms — making the difference between a roof that holds and one that fails.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, USA (07/09/2025) — Michael Harris outside his home in the Musicians Village in the Upper Ninth Ward, which was built after Hurricane Katrina nearly 20 years ago.
“My attitude is gratitude because I’m able to move forward with a sense of wonder... The future was uncertain, but I knew that whatever it was, it was going to be joyful. It’s a home, but it’s more than a home.“
- Michael, Musician’s Village Homeowner
Help us build back better
Support Habitat’s efforts to address post-disaster housing needs and help people create resilience and stability.
