Habitat for Humanity

Hello. We are Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization guided by a clear vision: a world where every person has a decent place to live. Our story did not begin with a formal plan or a large headquarters, but with a simple, powerful idea that took root on a community farm. In the late 1960s, a Christian community in Georgia called Koinonia Farm developed a concept they called “partnership housing.” This was not about giving houses away, but about creating a new way for people to achieve the dream of owning a safe, affordable home. The core of this idea was collaboration. It meant that families who needed a home would not be passive recipients of charity, but active partners in the building process. They would work side-by-side with volunteers, investing their own time and labor—what we call “sweat equity”—into the construction of their own houses and the homes of their neighbors. This approach fosters dignity, builds community, and ensures that the future homeowners are deeply connected to the place they will call home.

From this foundational idea, we were officially established. In 1976, our founders, Millard and Linda Fuller, took the principles of partnership housing and created Habitat for Humanity in Americus, Georgia. To make this vision sustainable, they also developed a unique financial model called the “Fund for Humanity.” This fund was designed to be a revolving source of support, powered by the very families we partner with. Here is how it works: when a family’s home is complete, they pay for it through an affordable mortgage. We make these mortgages affordable because we do not charge any profit on them. The family’s monthly payments then go directly back into the Fund for Humanity. This is the part of the model that creates a beautiful, self-renewing cycle. The money from one family’s mortgage payments is immediately used to help build a home for another family in their community. It’s a system built on trust and mutual support, where homeowners are not just helping themselves but are also paying it forward to help others.

For several years, our work grew steadily as more communities learned about our mission. However, a significant moment in 1984 brought our work to the attention of people all across the nation and eventually the world. That year, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, decided to volunteer with us. They put on their work clothes and joined a building project in New York City, helping to construct and repair homes. The image of a former president dedicating his time to our cause was powerful, and it helped millions of people understand our purpose. Their involvement was not a one-time event. It sparked the creation of the annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, an immersive, week-long building event that moves to different locations around the globe each year. Over the decades, this project has drawn thousands of volunteers who have worked alongside the Carters to build, renovate, and repair hundreds of homes, shining a bright spotlight on the global need for decent housing.

Inspired by this growing awareness, our organization expanded far beyond our origins in rural Georgia. We evolved from a small U.S.-based nonprofit into a global movement. Today, we have a presence in local communities across all 50 states in the United States and in approximately 70 other countries. An important part of our structure is that we are not one single, top-down organization. Instead, we are a vast network of thousands of local Habitat for Humanity organizations, each one connected to the community it serves. This local focus allows us to adapt our work to meet the specific needs of each area. In some places, that means building brand-new homes from the ground up. In others, it involves helping families with critical home repairs they cannot afford on their own, such as fixing a leaky roof or updating unsafe electrical systems. Our work can also involve improving a community’s access to clean water and sanitation or helping families rebuild their homes and their lives in the aftermath of natural disasters.

As we continue our work today, our fundamental mission remains the same. We believe that having a safe, stable, and affordable place to live does more than provide shelter from the elements. It provides a foundation of strength, stability, and self-reliance that allows families to build a better future for themselves and their children. To help fund this mission, we operate a network of retail stores called Habitat ReStores. These stores accept donations of new and gently used furniture, appliances, and building materials from the public and from businesses. They then sell these items to the community at a low cost. The money raised at our ReStores goes directly toward our work, helping us partner with more families to build and improve places they can call home. Through building, repairing, and advocating for affordable housing, we continue to work toward a world where everyone has a foundation for a better life.