Hungary

Budapest
1027 Hungary
26. Margit krt.
Hungary

WebsiteA wireframe globe www.habitat.hu
PhoneA smartphone +36 13740606

 

Country Facts:

 

  • Capital city – Budapest
  • Population – 9.7 million
  • Life expectancy – 77 years 
  • Unemployment rate – 4%
  • Below poverty line – 12.7%

Find more country facts on: CIA The World Factbook – Hungary

 

Habitat Facts

  • Habitat started in Hungary in 1996.
  • Households served in FY2022 – 74
  • Through rehabs – 3
  • Through repairs – 33
  • Through Ukraine program - 38
  • Individuals served in FY2022 
  • Through social support - 681
  • Volunteers hosted in FY2022 – 392

 

The housing need in Hungary

About one-third of Hungary’s population currently experiences poor living conditions or social marginalization. Due to growing income disparity and rising costs including extreme inflation and energy prices, housing expenses are an increasing burden. Many households are at risk of losing their homes because they cannot cover housing costs. 

Habitat for Humanity has been working alongside families in Hungary since 1996. Providing affordable, quality building materials, volunteer labor, and training sessions, we help families and communities improve their housing conditions. Advocacy is an important part of our work to achieve fair and inclusive housing policies. We aim to see everyone living in decent housing that enables a healthy and active life.

 

How Habitat addresses the need

 

Secure, affordable housing

Some 200,000 to 300,000 families are in need of low-cost rental housing. About 50,000 of these families are in a severe housing crisis and risk experiencing homelessness. Many live with relatives or friends, in temporary homes, or in housing with insecure tenure. To meet the various housing needs, our programs include:

Second Chance: we enable families living in temporary shelters to move into affordable rentals with social work care and services.

Támasz: we provide rapid solutions for people whose housing conditions have unexpectedly deteriorated or lack basic quality or safety. We offer smaller scale support such as building materials or minor repairs. 

Falusi Lakhatás: we work with Erste Bank to support families who do not have enough savings to upgrade their apartments by helping them to access a state subsidy. The government scheme enables rural dwellers in Hungary to make major home renovations.

VEKOP: we partner with the Municipality of Újpest to improve urban dwellers’ living conditions and promote social integration through social work and events held at a local community center.

 

Response to Russia-Ukraine war
When the war first broke out in February 2022, we immediately provided help — mainly material donations — along the border. To date, we have supported a total of 969 refugees from Ukraine with medium- and long-term housing. We launched our solidarity housing agency program in collaboration with the Utcáról Lakásba! (“From the Street to Homes!”) association. Through this program 38 households were provided with affordable, long-term, safe homes. We would like to continue our work by developing further programs.

 

Advocacy work

Through our research, policy proposals and campaigns, we urge the Hungarian government, local municipalities and other stakeholders to take concrete steps to tackle housing poverty. Our annual report on Hungary’s housing poverty status and trends seeks to analyze the effects of each year’s housing policies and budget. Through highlighting important housing topics, we trigger public discourse and support the development of fair and inclusive housing policies.

 

What you can do

DONATE

To donate directly to Habitat for Humanity Hungary, please contact us to learn more. https://www.habitat.hu/legy-aktiv/adomanyozas/online/

VOLUNTEER

The Global Village program is resuming region by region until a safe and quality experience can be provided at scale worldwide. Please visit habitat.org/gv for more information. In Hungary, Habitat works with local corporate or individual volunteers through renovating social rental flats.

TITHE

Habitat affiliates in the U.S. support the international work through an annual tithe. For additional information, email [email protected] or contact your local Habitat organization.

CONTACT

To learn more, please reach out to Kata Márton, Habitat Hungary volunteer program coordinator and community manager, at: katalin.marton@habitat.hu


Website: habitat.org/hu

 

Stories and news

A Sanctuary for Refugees to Rebuild and Thrive

Located in the tranquil natural environment of Kiskunság, Hungary, sits Strazsa Tanya, a guesthouse and ranch. The property is named after the nearby Strázsa “mountain,” making it the perfect place to escape. After the Ukrainian invasion broke out, the facility transformed itself into a sanctuary for Ukrainian refugees, particularly those with disabilities and other cumulative disadvantages. Since then, the ranch has provided not only temporary shelter but also a pathway to rebuilding lives.

Read more

Daddy, what is war?

“My son often asks: daddy, what is war? But how do you explain to a child what war is and why it started? Neither do I understand why this had to happen. What I do know, is that I didn’t want my family to experience any more of it. So we left.”

Read more

Is a housing renovation wave in Hungary possible?

It is not an exaggeration to say that energy efficiency has become a central issue almost all over the world today. Already in 2015, the European Commission set out the principle of ‘Energy Efficiency First’ as one of the EU’s founding principles, but the unprecedented rise in energy prices in recent months has brought the concept of energy efficiency even more into focus.

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Other Countries

Great Britain

Habitat for Humanity Great Britain was founded in January 1995 as a fundraising office to raise money and awareness for the global work of Habitat for Humanity. Based in Slough, near London, the national office works with individuals, corporate organisations, major donors, foundations, institutions and trusts. 

Read more

Bulgaria

The majority of the Bulgarians own a house or a flat, but they struggle to maintain them. Many live in pre-fabricated condominium buildings constructed 40-50 years ago. Maintenance of these buildings has become a severe challenge for the homeowners as the structures are rapidly deteriorating. 

Read more