Relief organisations Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization working to empower people in the world’s poorest communities to overcome the chronic lack of decent housing. Our vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We are therefore constantly looking for new solutions that would make adequate housing accessible and affordable for all.

Housing solutions

Because housing problems vary depending on where people live, we work in close cooperation with local communities and together we seek adequate housing solutions. We help people in need to build, repair and renovate homes. The future homeowners work alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.

We help to make buildings more energy efficient, provide water and sanitation solutions, mitigate effects of disasters and support housing microfinance loans. We also seek to influence the way housing and related shelter issues are assessed, prioritized and funded by local, national and international governments and inter-government forums.

But we alone cannot solve the 'silent emergency', in which so many millions still suffer from poor housing conditions and deprivation. To build a world where everyone has a decent place to live, we work together with beneficiaries, volunteers and partners.

Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries.

Habitat for Humanity's independent German office is based in Cologne, Germany.