Global impact
Our mission calls us to support Habitat's work not just in our own community, but throughout the world.
As a global organization delivering local impact, Habitat is uniquely positioned to address the world’s shelter crisis. Our work in more than 70 countries has helped transform the lives and communities of more than 39 million people through housing since 1976.
Each year, we tithe (share) a portion of our unrestricted funds with a Habitat partner overseas. Tithing is an ancient practice of many cultures and faiths and we proudly commit to it in our covenant agreement with Habitat International. The tithe program supports carefully-chosen building and shelter projects that provide housing in the world's poorest places. Since 1988, we have tithed over $170,000 and helped serve 94 families outside the United States. We recently celebrated the launch of a multi-year tithing commitment to two global partners: Habitat Haiti and Habitat Myanmar (Burma).
How Habitat addresses housing need in Haiti
Disaster response
On August 14, 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti’s southwestern peninsula causing significant damage in the region, including the cities of Les Cayes, Jérémie, and Anse-à-Veaux. Nearly 53,000 homes were destroyed, and another 77,000 houses were severely damaged, according to Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency. Immediately after the earthquake, we deployed a team to assess the shelter needs in the impacted area and create response options for early recovery and reconstruction.
As in previous responses to hurricanes and earthquakes in the country, we partner with other organizations to address the vital and urgent needs of families, while helping them on their path to permanent housing. We build on our experience following our responses to major disasters. These included the massive 2010 earthquake that saw Habitat rebuilding and repairing devastated communities. In 2016, in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, Habitat repaired severely damaged homes, built new ones, and provided training to local masons to improve home construction techniques to reduce vulnerability.
Land tenure
Major barriers to land tenure in Haiti include a lack of official land documentation, low exchange value of lands, and a lack of an efficient land information system. In early 2019, Habitat Haiti launched a program in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development to help households in three municipalities prove tenure security and increase the number of parcels registered in the land administration systems.
Housing solutions for seniors
In Haiti, older people are vulnerable to poverty, homelessness, and diseases due to a lack of governmental and societal support. Habitat Haiti is working in low-income, rural communities in the southwest to provide older people with access to safe, decent, and affordable housing with latrines and water collection tanks. In 2021, Habitat constructed 15 homes for seniors and plans to construct 15 more in 2022.
Habitat for Humanity began working in Haiti in 1984.
How Habitat addresses housing need in Myanmar
Improving housing and human settlements
In Myanmar, Habitat contributes to the development of low-income communities by partnering with village and ward committees and increasing access to water and sanitation services at the household and community levels. Habitat partners with the Department of Rural Development and Yangon City Development Committee and works directly with local and school committees in project delivery. Before Myanmar restricted mass gatherings to curb the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, Habitat had raised awareness of proper sanitation and hygiene in schools and in local communities through the community-led total sanitation and participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation approaches. During the pandemic, Habitat distributed hygiene kits and posters on COVID-19 prevention to quarantine centers and hospitals.
In 2020, Habitat re-activated its membership in the Myanmar Shelter Cluster, an inter-agency group that aims to provide people affected by violence and conflict with safe, dignified and appropriate living conditions, as well as access to essential services, while seeking durable solutions.
Raising awareness and mobilizing volunteers
Since March 2020, Habitat has suspended hosting international volunteers under the Global Village program in Bago region, north of Yangon. Both our staff and those of our partners have reduced travels and site visits due to COVID-19 restrictions. Local community volunteers have stepped up, particularly during activity implementation. These volunteers, who help to monitor the construction work and supervise workers, will report daily to Habitat.