Habitat Magazine
Habitat Magazine illustrates the mission at the center of all our work – ensuring people in our communities and around the world can achieve the safety and stability of affordable homeownership.
We see neighborhoods build and rebuild and follow families as they transform their lives with decent, affordable housing.
We celebrate housing policy successes achieved by local Habitats, volunteers and communities through our advocacy efforts. Together, we continue to work to fight for equity in the housing sector and rectify the effects of the unjust housing policies that persist today.
In every issue, our magazine captures the life-changing impact and incredible spirit of families, volunteers, advocates and partners – including you.
The Carters: Honoring their lives of service
The Carters: Honoring their lives of service
In this special issue of Habitat Magazine, learn about the life and legacy of President Carter and the impact his dedicated years of support for Habitat had on families and affordable housing around the world.
-
In Memoriam: President Carter
We celebrate the life of an extraordinary man – and our most famous volunteer.In Memoriam: Rosalynn Carter
A reflection on Mrs. Carter’s remarkable legacy and hands-on commitment to Habitat’s mission.“They changed my life.”
Longtime Habitat volunteer and supporter David Letterman shares how the Carters inspired his service.A mission for housing equity
President Carter called Habitat a “singular, divine concept that has opened a vision to me.”Acts of faith
President Carter’s support of Habitat was an expression of his deeply held Christian beliefs.Carter work project memories
Since 1984, Habitat’s signature event has focused worldwide attention on affordable housing.
-
Helping families improve financial stability
Habitat Findlay/Hancock County launches a Financial Opportunity Center to help low-income residents improve their financial health and make long-term plans, including homeownership.
Be an effective housing advocate
Are you interested in becoming an advocate for housing? Put your passion for housing justice into action with these six practices.
Home is the key to a brighter future in Detroit
Habitat teams up with families and partners to fuel a housing comeback in Detroit’s Morningside neighborhood.
Building starter homes in Flagstaff
Habitat helps essential workers stay rooted through a starter home model.
-
Bridging the Black homeownership gap
Habitat affiliates across the U.S. are designing innovative programs that advance Black homeownership in their local communities.
Home equals a better future
Our new global advocacy campaign partners with families in informal settlements around the world to shape policies and improve their access to adequate housing.
Honoring the past, building the future
The former site of a revered all-Black, segregation-era school in Charlotte, North Carolina, is blossoming into a vibrant Habitat neighborhood
“What are all those empty buildings going to do?”
An approach to increasing adequate housing stock in dense areas by converting empty or underutilized buildings into livable homes.
-
Keeping the music alive in Austin
High housing prices threatened to displace a musician from Austin, Texas, until she partnered with Habitat to stay rooted in the city where she’s built her career.
Showcasing innovative home designs
Habitat affiliates design resilient, energy-efficient, accessible and affordable homes to fit the unique needs of their communities.
Holiday shopping the Habitat way
From fuzzy blankets and sweaters to water bottles and workout towels, Habitat’s online retail store has many options for your gift-giving needs.
Share your feedback with us
Complete our survey to help us learn more about you as a reader of Habitat magazine and be entered to win a gift certificate to The Habitat Store.
-
Rebuilding amid the rubble
An update on Habitat Haiti’s response to the 2021 earthquake.“I want to be a part of that”
Hear from passionate and determined Habitat volunteers, advocates and housing champions.A lasting impact
From build-site volunteer to major gift donor, Dale Larson shares why he supports Habitat.National service strengthens Charlotte community
Meet Habitat AmeriCorps members supporting the mission, gaining experience and changing a community.Building the case
Shining light on the barriers to affordable housing in the U.S. and on the incredible impact we have together.
-
Residents leading revitalization
Habitat-founded neighborhood coalition ignites investment in Muncie, Indiana.Advancing Black homeownership
How Habitat is working to help dismantle the systemic bias that has prevented generations of Black families from accessing the intergenerational wealth-building potential of homeownership.Equipping older adults to age in place
Habitat’s Housing Plus model helps older adults access the resources they need to age safely in their homes, while maintaining their independence and quality of life.Habitat’s response to the Ukraine crisis
Refugees fleeing the violence in Ukraine find housing and hope with Habitat.Combating malaria in Kenyan homes
Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter is collaborating with other organizations to find innovative solutions to keep homes mosquito-free.
-
New home brings hope
A family of four in Ethiopia revels in the new possibilities of homeownership.Helping essential workers build affordable places to call home
A partnership with Habitat, a Colorado school district and the county keeps teachers and other essential county workers living in the community they serve.Neighbors thrive in Nashville
Families in Nashville find stability and community in an affordable 178-home neighborhood.WASH around the world
Habitat partners with families and communities around the world to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene as part of our holistic approach to housing.Remaining part of their community
High housing prices nearly forced a family from the community they treasured. Then they partnered with Habitat.
-
Steps to homeownership
Come along as we follow the path Habitat homebuyers take on their journey to homeownership.
Home is the Key
Habitat for Humanity homeowner Krushetta shares what it means for her family to live in a home “filled with love.”
“The most beautiful home in Boise”
Kathy reflects on the impact of the Habitat home she helped build and has lived in for 25 years.
A gift of gratitude
Ernie’s desire to pay it forward transformed his unused car into a gift that allows Habitat to partner with more people.
Building the Beloved Community
Read highlights from our online discussion focused on the role that creating safe, decent and affordable housing can play in creating an equitable community.
Safer, more accessible places to call home
Meet a handful of older residents in Georgia who now enjoy improved homes thanks to Habitat’s Aging in Place efforts.
-
The beauty of the build
The details of every Habitat build site reflect the dynamism and joy of our work.
Fantastic finds — and funds
Habitat ReStores celebrate 30 years of making the mission happen.
A dream come true
“I didn’t believe that we would ever have our own home.”
What’s in our toolbox
Learn about additional ways that we partner with families and communities around the world.
Creating opportunities and employment
With the generous support of AbbVie, Habitat’s holistic program in Puerto Rico continues to reach more families.
-
Through their own eyes
Children who live in Habitat houses around the world draw how they see their homes, families and neighborhoods.
Equity and housing
Learn what housing equity is and how our U.S. advocacy campaign, Cost of Home, works to make it a reality.
Then and now
Habitat Humanitarians Drew and Jonathan Scott share what home and Habitat mean to them and offer inspiration for your next trip to the Habitat ReStore.
Keeping a legacy alive in Hawaii
Moses builds a new home and new hope for the future on his family’s ancestral lands.
Habitat donors share why they give
Seven Habitat donors describe what they get when they give.
-
Steps to homeownership
Come along as we follow the path Habitat homebuyers take on their journey to homeownership.
Home is the Key
Habitat for Humanity homeowner Krushetta shares what it means for her family to live in a home “filled with love.”
“The most beautiful home in Boise”
Kathy reflects on the impact of the Habitat home she helped build and has lived in for 25 years.
A gift of gratitude
Ernie’s desire to pay it forward transformed his unused car into a gift that allows Habitat to partner with more people.
Building the Beloved Community
Read highlights from our online discussion focused on the role that creating safe, decent and affordable housing can play in creating an equitable community.
Safer, more accessible places to call home
Meet a handful of older residents in Georgia who now enjoy improved homes thanks to Habitat’s Aging in Place efforts.
-
Homes, Communities, Hope + You
Habitat has always believed in the power of coming together to transform lives.
Join the conversation
Our +You thought leadership series brings together an array of experts who are helping raise awareness and understanding of the most pressing issues in housing today.
Advocacy in action
In June, Habitat’s Cost of Home campaign marked its first year. Learn more about our priorities and successes.
A foundation for a better future
Four personal reflections on the significance of housing stability and affordability during these challenging times.From our CEO
Jonathan Reckford reflects on Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
The urgency of our work
These numbers illustrate why creating equal access to decent and affordable places to call home is so important.
-
Build a better world
We all share the belief that homes should be healthy, that communities should thrive, that foundations are springboards to stability and opportunity.“Otherwise out of reach”
Partnership and advocacy pave the way for innovative response to Washington, D.C.’s growing housing crisis.“A bold undertaking”
During this season of celebration and reflection, we look back to the roots of Habitat for Humanity at Koinonia Farm.What is “decent”?
Defining the universal elements that make a home “decent.”The ladder of success
Having a decent and affordable place to call home helps families advance to the next level.
-
Much need, many solutions
Habitat’s work in Poland evolves in order to better address the country’s particular housing needs.Cost of Home
Habitat takes a stand and declares our commitment: We will work to ensure that no family has to pay more than half their paycheck to cover the cost of home.Coming together to revitalize communities
Ten communities begin to test the Quality of Life Framework, a tool that aims to bring lasting change to neighborhoods across the United States.Home Is the Key
Atlanta resident Krushetta plans a “big, prosperous, new beginning” for her family.“Serve the whole person”
Topeka Habitat helps older adults remain in their homes and partners to find comprehensive solutions.
-
Helping residents reshape neighborhoods
Muncie, Indiana, resident Debra Simmons takes a leading role in a coalition effort to revitalize her neighborhood.Our Better Angels
Learn how you can pre-order Jonathan Reckford’s new book today!Promoting health and empowering residents
Clean water. Land rights. Durable construction. How Habitat Zambia partners with residents, government and other groups to help families improve their lives.Home affordability and why it matters
Bringing housing costs to an affordable level can make all the difference in the life — and future — of a family.Back to school
By helping families build and improve the places they call home, you help them find stronger footing, both in and out of the classroom.
-
Building strength and resilience
In the Dominican Republic, Wendy, Omar and their daughters live in a new home built to better withstand storms.The Carpenter’s Gift
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been milled into lumber and used in the construction of a Habitat for Humanity house every year since 2007.Progress since the storms
After a devastating 2017 hurricane season, families and communities continue to rebuild with Habitat’s help.Our Better Angels
A look at seven timeless virtues embodied in Habitat’s work that will change your life and the world.Harnessing collective power
Residents, community partners and Habitat come together to creating lasting change in neighborhoods.
-
Prescribing a stable, decent, affordable home
Dr. Megan Sandel shares the “eureka” moment that helped her realize the connection between a decent place to live and a child’s health and development.Why we build
When a family can create a decent place to live that’s affordable, everything can change. And so much change is so desperately needed.Habitat Humanitarians
Drew and Jonathan Scott receive Habitat’s highest honor in recognition of their dedication to our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.The work and the reward
Members of the Habitat family share why they build, advocate, donate — and love what they do.Building the Beloved Community
We believe that making homeownership accessible and affordable is a critical component to creating the kind of future that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned.
-
The Beloved Community in action
See how Habitat’s commitment to creating access, equality and opportunity is coming to life in cities across the U.S.Much work remains
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford discuss making housing accessible and affordable.Faces of change
Take a trip around Habitat’s world, and meet just a few of the people whose lives have been improved through the creation of decent and affordable places to live.Energy savings
How smart design and innovation help Habitat families save money.Rebuilding Puerto Rico
Hear from AbbVie’s Melissa Walsh about the significant, long-term work needed and why her company believes that Habitat is part of the solution.
-
Revitalizing neighborhoods
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant fuels new work focused on improving a community’s quality of life and health.Warmth and home
Through their art, volunteer quiltmakers support Habitat’s mission and help welcome new homeowners.Home is the key
April was a month of sweat equity and joy, filled with support for a world where everyone has a decent place to live.Opening up a world of possibility
Three Habitat homeowners share the doors that have opened for them.A community takes shape
Celebrating the 35th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project
-
The future is now
Every day a family spends in their Habitat home is a day of empowerment and opportunity.A conversation with Matthew Desmond
The author and Habitat on the Hill keynote speaker shines a light on how eviction and a lack of affordable housing help create poverty in the U.S.Habitat Humanitarians
Recognizing four individuals who serve as tireless champions and advocates to help create decent, affordable shelter around the world.Ways to help Habitat
Hear from volunteers who have found creative ways to support Habitat through activities that speak to their heart.Home is the Key
Throughout April 2017, a Habitat campaign gathered supporters, ambassadors and community leaders to shine a spotlight on the importance of affordable housing so that even more families can have access to a decent place to live.
-
Carter Work Project
As Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary, the Carters and their fellow volunteers helped 150 families build and improve places they can call home.Building back
Habitat Nepal continues to help families and communities recover, two years after devastating earthquakes in the south Asian country.Stand up for quality, affordable housing
Making sure more families have decent places to call home is absolutely vital to the health, well-being and stability of our communities.Thank you!
Celebrating the in-kind donations that help us build.Why we serve
President Carter and other Habitat supporters and volunteers share what motivates them to help their neighbors.
-
Habitat hammers back
As we respond to natural disasters, lessons from past recovery efforts lay a strong foundation for our efforts.Innovating to reach more families
Hosted by Village Capital and Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, ShelterTech Mexico 2017 gathered entrepreneurs focused on decent and affordable housing.Home is the key
Habitat believes that home is the foundation for our lives, yet for many families, home seems out of reach. Our nationwide cause movement seeks to raise awareness.Ensuring more decent places to call home
A decade from now, more families in Honduras will know what it’s like to have the stability of homeownership, thanks to Habitat’s Solid Ground campaign.
-
Concrete assistance
Knowing that expert masons are key to building decent homes, Habitat offers training in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru.The Habitat family
Everyone deserves a decent place to live, and everyone can do something today to help.Happy anniversary
Join us this year as we celebrate four decades of helping families build and improve places they can call home.No place like home
Habitat helps people stay in their homes as they age.Maureen’s legacy
An architecture student designs an Austin Habitat house and forever changes the lives of dozens of families, including her own.
-
All of us, together
A decent home with an affordable mortgage builds strong and stable families. And strong and stable families build strong and stable communities.Homeownership changes lives
Meet seven families who have partnered with Habitat to build or improve a place they can call home.Everyone builds for a reason
Homeowners and volunteers share why they build. Why do you?25 years of Habitat ReStores
Celebrate with us by browsing these facts, finds and stories.Who does it take to build a Habitat house?
It takes everyone, and that starts with you!
-
Decent shelter
At Habitat for Humanity, this is what unites us: a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.Empowered families
Hear from homeowners how having a decent and affordable place to live has changed their lives.Achieving homeownership
Trakeysha and her new neighbors stand on the threshold of homeownership, thanks to the 2016 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.Building together
Habitat and Bank of America celebrate 30 years of partnership.The what and why of Habitat
What we build — and why it matters so much.
-
It’s all interconnected
Your support and hard work, the sweat equity of homeowners, a world where everyone has a decent place to live.Health in Honduras
Fifty-three families enjoy cleaner drinking water, thanks to Habitat Honduras partnership.Keys to success
A Habitat homeowner is an empowered homeowner. Why? The independence, financial freedom and stability of a decent, affordable home.What’s new at habitat.org/magazine
Take our interactive “did you know” quiz, view a slideshow of housing need around the world, meet fellow members of the Habitat family.Moments to remember
The treasured memories of these Habitat homeowners inspire us to keep building.
-
From shade to shelter
Each year, the RockefellerCenter Christmas Tree isused to help a family build their Habitat house.Every child needs a place to call home
A house, achance, a futureare all in your handsA better life
Job Kalulu shares how his family’s circumstances have improved for the better in a Habitat house.Habitat. We build.
With Habitat’s help, homeowners achieve stability and self-reliance.A new start
Eight-year-old Kevin Ksor knows the difference a Habitat house has made in his life.
-
Pathways to permanence
Out of disaster, building better lives: 5 stories to inspire you.Clean water
Habitat Fiji taps rainwater on the island of Moturiki, and Habitat Zambia brings a safe supply to Chazanga.Why ReStore?
Got an art project? Need tools, or love antiques? Check out habitat.org’s new blog.A community pulls together
The future looks a whole lot brighter in the New Town Success Zone neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida.Why we build
The findings of a new MacArthur Foundation survey underline the importance of our work together.Coming home
What “community” really means. Place is only part of it.
-
Forward momentum
Habitat marks a major milestone in our history.
What’s new at habitat.org/magazine
Revisit Carter Work Project 2014, see multimedia features, and more.Because of this house...
Hear from Habitat families whose futures have been forever changed because of the blessings of homeownership.Heart of all
Habitat helps thousands in Zambia build better lives.“More than I hoped for”
Habitat homeowner Angela Amoatey shops with a purpose at area ReStores.
-
Strong neighborhoods
Habitat’s work creates well-rounded communities that will thrive for years to come.Spheres of service
Meet volunteers and supporters who make our work possible, and find your own place in Habitat’s world.“Circle of friends”
An essay by Habitat World editor Shala Carlson examines the connections we create in the wake of natural disaster.Connecting the dots
Many parts come together to help create a whole world where everyone has a simple, decent place to live.
-
A Winning Smile
Habitat World photo contest winner Yeree Hong’s prize shot captures a Habitat Nepal homeowner’s gorgeous smile.A Build to Build on
The work of the first Global Village team in Bulgaria helps give insights into the best ways for Habitat Bulgaria to construct more energy-efficient homes.Give. Receive. Build.
In Habitat’s work, we all can give, in this action we all receive, and together we build.Little Hands, Big Hearts
Young fundraisers do their part to help build a world where everyone has a decent place to live.“Part of My Heart”
Volunteer Robin Pope takes Habitat World readers along for her Global Village experience in Guangxi, China.
-
Homecoming
Celebrating Clarence Jordan, community and
Habitat’s home soilTithes that build
Habitat support crisscrosses the globe, creating
connections, friendships — and miracles.This we pray
A prayer for willing hearts and a call to actionWhat’s new online
Discover recent stories and videos at
magazine.habitat.org.Show of support
A guide that helps you give the gift of Habitat
-
Why we build
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.What we’re building toward
Habitat has a vision of a world where everyone has a
decent place to live.I build because...
Voices from around Habitat’s world share the reasons
they support Habitat — and their goals.What will you build?
Helping Habitat is easy! Find out how you can get more involved.