HABITAT FACTS:
- Habitat began working in Guatemala in 1979.
- Individuals served in FY2025: 74,920
- Through new construction: 10,345
- Through rehabs: 1,705
- Through incremental construction: 5,305
- Through repairs: 18,225
- Volunteers engaged in FY2025: 3,858
COUNTRY FACTS:
Capital city: Guatemala City
Population: 17.602 million
Life expectancy: 72.6 years
Unemployment rate: 3%
Below poverty line: 60%
Source: National Institute of Statistics
The housing need in Guatemala
Behind every statistic on Guatemala’s housing deficit lies a family struggling to live with dignity. More than 2.2 million homes are needed, according to the National Association of Housing Builders, with many families living in overcrowded or deteriorated spaces that lack basic services such as safe drinking water, toilets, and electricity. In rural areas, children and parents still cook with open fires, exposing them to chronic respiratory illness.
Home is not simply about walls and roofs — it is the foundation for health, safety, and opportunity. Investing in housing means investing in the future of Guatemala’s families.
How Habitat addresses the need
Safe Homes
Quality and safety are at the heart of every Habitat Guatemala project. Families receive personalized support throughout the construction process, with technical advisors conducting follow-up visits to ensure compliance with both national standards and Habitat’s quality guidelines. Certified materials and structural systems are used, meeting the requirements of the Guatemalan Association of Structural and Seismic Engineers and the Guatemalan Cement and Concrete Institute. The result is durable and resilient homes where families can thrive.
Financing for New Homes and Improvements
To make decent housing a reality for more families, Habitat Guatemala offers an innovative In-Kind Financing Program with a social focus that provides construction materials and skilled labor, covering the full cost of new construction or home improvements. Families benefit from affordable repayment plans, along with technical advice and tailored housing designs suited to their needs and resources. This model is available in all 22 departments of the country, expanding opportunities for safe and dignified living.
Volunteer Engagement
Habitat Guatemala’s work is strengthened by the participation of volunteers at various levels. At the local level, community committees serve as an essential link between Habitat and their communities, promoting housing initiatives and social development. At the national level, volunteers from educational institutions, companies, organizations, embassies, and individuals contribute their time and efforts to the construction processes. Likewise, international volunteers, through the Global Village program, travel to Guatemala to support Habitat’s long-term work by partnering with local communities to build decent housing. In addition to contributing labor and accompanying the families, these groups assume the costs associated with their participation, which strengthens the impact and sustainability of the initiatives at the national level.
Support for Families Living in Extreme Poverty
Since 2010, Habitat Guatemala has expanded its mission to reach families living in conditions of extreme poverty. Partial subsidies help families access essential solutions —smokeless stoves, ventilated latrines, water filters, and drainage systems— that improve the health and dignity of their homes. In this way, Habitat goes beyond housing by supporting the conditions that make a decent home truly livable. Together, we build health, education and economic development.
What you can do
DONATE
To donate, please go to habitatguate.org/en/habitat-donations/ or email [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER
Global Village is a transformative and international volunteer experience, offering multiple opportunities to change the lives of Guatemalan families. Volunteer groups support Habitat’s vision, where everyone has a decent place to live, by improving homes in partnership with local communities. Please visit habitat.org/gv for more information and updates.
TITHE
Habitat affiliates in the U.S. support the international work through an annual tithe. For additional information, email [email protected] oor Habitat’s Area Office in Latin America and the Caribbean: [email protected].
CONTACT
Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, 3era Avenida 8-26 Zona 10,Guatemala
Phone: +502 23310456 Website: habitatguate.org Facebook: HabitatGuate
Instagram: HabitatGuate X: HabitatGuate LinkedIn: Hábitat para la Humanidad Guatemala
