Who We Are
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry that works both to eliminate poverty housing around the world and to make adequate housing a matter of conscience and action. Habitat welcomes partners from any faith--or from no faith--who are willing to pick up a hammer to help improve the lives of families needing decent shelter.
Since its founding in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity International has built and rehabilitated hearly 200,000 homes with families in need, becoming a true world leader in addressing the issues of poverty housing.
Habitat for Humanity’s worldwide work is accomplished at the community level by affiliates — independent, locally run, nonprofit organizations. As an affiliate, Habitat Wake coordinates all aspects of fund raising, building site selection, construction, partner family selection, volunteer recruitment and mortgage servicing.
Why is Habitat Needed?
Millions of Americans face a housing crisis. In fact, 5.1 million American families have "worst-case" housing needs, forced to pay more than half their income for housing, endure overcrowded conditions and/or live in houses with severe physical deficiencies. While the number of families in poverty is growing, the number of affordable rental units is shrinking, and most families who qualify for government housing assistance aren't receiving any aid.
Worldwide, the need is even greater. Some 2 billion people worldwide live in poverty housing. More than 1 billion live in urban slums, and that figure is expected to double by 2030. Many of these people earn less than US$2 per day.
Housing problems have far-reaching consequences. The high cost of housing leaves low-income families little money for other basic necessities like food, clothing or health care. Substandard housing can endanger the health and safety of its occupants, erode their hope and self-worth, and impair their children's ability to succeed in school.
Habitat for Humanity is changing lives. Working in partnership with low-income families to build decent homes they can afford to buy, Habitat helps to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. By the end of 2005, more than 1 million people worldwide will live in decent, affordable Habitat for Humanity houses.
What We Do
Local Habitat for Humanity affiliates build (and sometimes renovate) houses in partnership with people in need then sell the houses to the homeowner partners. Local affiliates select homeowners based on their need for housing, ability to repay a no-profit mortgage and willingness to partner with Habitat. Mortgage payments contribute to a Fund for Humanity, which in turn provides the money to build more houses. Because of Habitat's no-profit loans and because the houses are principally built with volunteer labor, mortgage payments are affordable for low-income partners.
Where We Work
The organization started in the United States in 1976, but today its work reaches around the world. Currently, more than 2,300 affiliates are at work in all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, and other countries around the globe.
In North Carolina there are 84 local affiliates. Habitat for Humanity of Wake County is located in Raleigh.
Due to the combined building efforts of U.S. affiliates, Habitat for Humanity ranked 14th on Builder magazine’s 2007 top 100 builders list. Habitat for Humanity International affiliates in the United States completed 5,619 homes in fiscal year 2007.
