Home provides a strong sense of security and comfort — this is especially true for older adults. The desire to age in place is deeply rooted. A 2018 survey by AARP found that 76% of adults over age 50 want to remain in their current residence as they get older. But for many older Americans, their current housing isn’t suitable for their changing needs and abilities.

Through our Aging in Place program, older adults partner with Habitat for Humanity to address the issues preventing them from aging safely and comfortably in their homes. Following a thorough holistic needs assessment including a functional assessment of the activities of daily living by a health care or social services partner, the homeowner, health professional and Habitat staff collaborate on a plan of action. From exterior maintenance tasks like cleaning gutters and refreshing paint to critical interior renovations like widening doorways to accommodate mobility aids and adding handrails, each project is designed to make older adults’ daily routines easier and improve their overall quality of life.

Since the program’s launch in 2013, it has expanded across the U.S. to meet the urgent and growing need for functional, affordable and accessible senior housing. In fact, households headed by older adults now account for more than half of all the repairs completed by Habitat affiliates nationwide.

In Georgia alone, hundreds of homeowners across the state have partnered with their local Habitat to preserve their homes and their independence. Below, five homeowners from four Georgia counties share their stories of reclaiming the strength and function of home in order to age in place.  

Improved access and safety — for all

In northern Georgia, the ramp built by Greater Dalton Habitat transformed Robert and Teresa’s home from one of isolation to one of inclusion.  

The improved access has made it safer for them to care for their 9-year granddaughter, Abigail, who lives with them. It has also made it possible for the couple, both in their mid-60s, to welcome in more family and friends once the pandemic passes. This includes their son-in-law and Robert’s father-in-law, who both use wheelchairs. “Now, with the ramp, they’ll be able to come over to visit us at home,” says Robert.

Prior to the ramp’s installation, the couple had largely resigned themselves to the danger their steps presented. “We were expecting the steps to just fall through at any moment,” says Teresa. “And because we weren’t in a spot — either physically or financially — to fix it, we felt like we had no way of stopping it from happening.” Noting the peril, a family member started the application process with Greater Dalton Habitat on their behalf.  

The resulting partnership with Habitat to improve the accessibility of their home means Robert and Teresa can stay in place as they grow older — and provide consistency to their granddaughter as she does, too.  

“We love where we live,” says Teresa. Robert agrees, noting the quiet and simplicity. “The highlight of our day is when Abigail comes home from school,” he says. The ramp gives the couple the ability to watch out for and greet her. “It allows us to get in and out so much easier,” he says. “It’s a blessing.” 

No place like home

“This is home,” says Terry, referring to the white single-story house in central Georgia that he shares with his dog, Lilly. Since Terry’s mother bought the house in 1965, it has served as a constant in his life. After moving out as a young man to serve 33 years with the U.S. Army, Terry moved back in after his parents passed. The home that supported him as a boy now comforts him in retirement.  

But the aging house was steadily becoming unsound and unsafe. A leaking roof, uneven floors and an antiquated electrical system, complete with cloth-insulated wiring, all posed constant risks — from mold to fall to shock hazards. The absence of a functional sink and shower in the bathroom and lack of hot water throughout the house made tasks like cleaning, cooking and bathing even more of a chore. Trying to use modern appliances and electronics became a hassle, if not impossible, due to the home’s outdated outlets. Terry knew he could no longer live in the house safely, but he couldn’t manage the growing to-do list himself. That’s when he reached out to Gwinnett Habitat.  

Gwinnett Habitat can keep repair costs low and help homeowners like Terry improve their homes, thanks to volunteers and local in-kind donors. Each repair is a true community endeavor to keep aging neighbors in and part of that community. To help Terry, a roofing company donated time and materials to help him repair his roof and prevent further water damage. A local business donated a new water heater. An electric company donated time and materials to replace the electrical wiring and install the water heater as well as a new breaker box to bring the home up to code. Small groups of masked staff and volunteers identified and replaced rotting support beams and water-weakened exterior walls to bolster the home’s structural strength.  

Now, for the first time in five years, Terry doesn’t have to leave the house to take a warm shower. “I can shave, shower or wash the dishes with hot water any time I want without having to go to my son’s house,” he says. He doesn’t have to fear losing power or his home to his electrical system. “Before, I had to be careful using the lights,” he says. “If I turned on more than a couple of things, the electricity would blow a fuse. It was a fire hazard.” And above all, he no longer has to worry whether his home could harm him. “Now,” Terry says, “I feel safe.” 

A life-saving addition

Lula contacted Habitat Effingham County after suffering a fall that left her with a broken leg and no good way to enter and exit her eastern Georgia home. “My husband, who just turned 68 himself, had to tote me down the steps if I ever went out,” she says. “It wasn’t easy on either of us.” 

A frequent shopper at the local ReStore, Lula was already familiar with and a proud supporter of Habitat’s work in her community. It wasn’t until her Medicaid representative encouraged her to apply as a means to safeguard her health that she ever considered their critical repair program to increase the functionality of her own home. But she’s glad she did. 

Just one week after Habitat volunteers and staff installed a ramp to help her get in and out of her home independently, Lula suffered a heart issue due to a blood clot in her injured leg. She estimates that using the ramp instead of navigating the stairs saved precious minutes while she was being transported to the emergency room. “Habitat saved my life,” Lula says. “They really did.”  

Now back home and healing, the retired school sanitation worker feels safer now — even amid the pandemic. “My home is even more important now that I’m spending this much time here because of COVID,” she says. “So to be able to move around it on my own, to be self-sufficient again, it just feels great. It means a lot.” 

Combined with her weekly physical therapy, the new ramp also has given Lula confidence to begin visiting her happy place: the garden. “I’m a flower freak,” she laughs. “Always messing with my flowers.” The ramp leads to her garden beds, which she hadn’t been able to tend to since her injury. “Gardening keeps me busy; it makes me smile — and thanks to Habitat I can get back to it,” says Lula. “I couldn’t be more grateful.” 

Building strength, independence during recovery

Since her hip replacement surgery last year, Zadie has used a walker to build up her strength and balance. But because of its size and weight, it could only take the 70-year-old Georgia native so far.  

“An aid comes to help with household matters, but I want to shower and get ready before she arrives,” she explains. It was difficult to manage that task with her walker in the tall tub and tight corners of her bathroom. So she worked with Columbus Area Habitat in southern Georgia to come up with a solution and reclaim her routine. Together, Zadie and Habitat staff assessed her home as it is and what she needs from it, coming up with a list of modifications and repairs that would marry the two.  

Improvements included the addition of hallway lighting to eliminate hard-to-see trip hazards, a front storm door to improve circulation and an accessible bathroom, including a low-profile shower with a seat, which has significantly reduced Zadie’s risk of injury since she no longer has to lift her walker in and out of the tub.  

“I can use the bathroom facilities with safety and privacy,” says Zadie. Now, every chance she gets, she tells people about Habitat. “I’m just so grateful and happy with the changes,” she says. “I feel safer.”  

Staying safe while staying home

“Safer” is the first word that Freddie uses to describe how he feels in his recently repaired home, too. The 67-year-old former metal worker and brick mason, who retired early due to health issues, needed to adjust his home to fit his shifting priorities and abilities — and partnered with Columbus Area Habitat to accomplish just that.  

From installing an accessible toilet, low-profile bathtub and grab bars in the bathroom to replacing old cabinets and damaged, uneven flooring in the kitchen, each update has helped him uncover a renewed sense of confidence, comfort and security in his home of nearly 50 years. “I have trouble walking, but now have no fear of tripping or stumbling in my house,” says Freddie.  

Freddie is also relieved for the handful of friends and family who regularly check in on him. “They feel much better about me staying in my home now that it is more suitable for my needs,” he says. Instead of worrying, he’s glad everyone can now more fully enjoy their short, socially distanced visits together.

“I’m so glad for all that has been done,” says Freddie. Each individual modification has made life simpler, and the whole project has collectively reinforced his resilience. “It’s because of these changes and Habitat that I’m able to stay in my home and my neighborhood,” he says.

In November 2020, Tvasta Manufacturing printed a 600-square-foot home in concrete over the course of 30 days. With improvements, the start-up hopes to cut that time down to about a week.

The build was made possible with investment from Habitat for Humanity’s ShelterTech. The ShelterTech accelerator — run by Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter and its partners — identifies, nurtures and accelerates start-ups like Tvasta, helping to bring new ideas and technologies to improve low-income housing for families and communities in need of access to decent, affordable homes.

The concrete used in this 3D printing is specially formulated for faster drying times, allowing Tvasta to build these homes more quickly and efficiently than traditional construction, which can sometimes take three to five times longer for a similarly sized structure. Tvasta plans to ramp up operations through partnerships with materials and industrial companies, as well as by licensing their technology to affordable housing developers who they hope can take 3D printed homes to scale across the country. That could translate into many more sustainable, affordable homes in countries like India, where at least a third of urban residents live in informal settlements with inadequate shelter.

“3D printing isn’t a panacea, given land tenure, financing and other key elements that go into affordable housing,” says Patrick Kelley, vice president of Habitat’s Terwilliger Center. “But the technology holds great potential to lower construction costs, save water and reduce material waste by up to 65%.”

Currently, ShelterTech is also working to empower leaders and foster housing innovation in Mexico, Kenya, Southeast Asia and the Andean region of South America.

Camilo first heard about Habitat’s work in the early 1990s. At the time, Habitat Mexico was helping families construct safe and durable homes near his village in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Cut off from phone service in this remote area near the Guatemalan border, he frequently made the hours-long journey on horseback to their work site to check on their progress, learn about Habitat’s construction program and try to convince them to expand their program to his hometown further south.

His persistence paid off in 1995 when Habitat Mexico partnered with Camilo and his wife, Manuela, to build a home of their own — the first Habitat project in their community.

Camilo eagerly shares a photo of his home dedication, preserved in a pocket-sized plastic photo album, with anyone who asks. For him, the picture is a symbol not only of he and his wife’s long-held dream of homeownership coming true, but also of the ripple effect the home has had in the community over the past 25 years.

Through a translator, Camilo explains in Tzotzil, his native Maya language, that his payments toward the home have been reinvested by Habitat so that more farming families in his village can also build homes.

“If we pay on time, that means the program will continue in the community and that means that other families will have a proper place to live,” he explains. Since his inaugural build, more than 30 families have built a home of their own alongside Habitat — each one spurring the next.

“We are the example of the seed. We grow it, and we need to care for it to grow more and more,” says Camilo.

UN-Habitat predicts that 3 billion people will need adequate shelter by 2030, but making that need tangible — and such a large number relatable — isn’t easy. Habitat for Humanity Bulgaria has answered that challenge with something unexpected: art.

In 2020, as part of a larger campaign to raise awareness of housing issues around the world, Habitat Bulgaria invited 12 artists to translate the challenges and opportunities of rapid urbanization into the language of art. The result is a set of 20 posters designed to deepen Bulgarians’ understanding of housing globally.

“The complexity of housing and urbanization provoked us to seek creative ways to deliver the message and attempt to win the hearts and minds of people,” says Mincho Benov, national director of Habitat Bulgaria.

Initially, Habitat Bulgaria planned to display the pieces in art galleries. Instead, due to COVID-19, the works have been made accessible on their website, hfh.bg, with a poster of the collective works available as a download. Habitat Bulgaria encourages gallery visitors to print and display the poster in their own communities to help raise awareness of the urgent and growing need for safe, decent and affordable housing around the world.

Every day, families partner with Habitat for Humanity to build homes and, as a result, better lives. Over the course of their journey, each family invests hard work and dedication on an intensive path to homeownership. From attending homeowner courses to completing sweat equity hours, each step empowers future homeowners and helps create the access and foster the skills they need to succeed. 

Come along!

Step 1: Inquire

Local Habitat affiliates often host information sessions where potential homeowners can learn about their homeownership program. This gives potential future homeowners time to ask questions and make connections. In light of COVID-19, many affiliates made their homebuying process digital. In California, for example, Habitat San Diego is hosting initial orientations over video conferences that are offered in both English and Spanish. The digital format makes it easier and safer for families to get the information they need to determine if partnering with Habitat is right for them.

Step 2: Apply

If Habitat’s homeownership program is the right fit for a family, they can apply locally during an open enrollment period. Local Habitat staff consider a family’s eligibility. They review each application carefully while focusing on the following main criteria:

• Need for housing: Prospective Habitat homeowners must demonstrate a need for safe, affordable housing.
• Willingness to partner: Once selected, Habitat homeowners must partner with Habitat through the process, including performing sweat equity.
• Ability to pay: Homeowners must also be able and willing to pay an affordable mortgage. Habitat mortgage payments are cycled back into the community to help build additional Habitat houses.

Step 3: Interview

The next step is an in-person interview. Habitat staff and/or volunteers make a home visit to hear more about a potential future homeowner’s desire to partner with Habitat, to get to know the family, and to learn about their current housing status and future housing needs.

Step 4: Approve

After careful review of each family’s full application packet, Habitat staff and/or volunteers present their recommendations to the local board of directors. At most Habitat affiliates, the board makes the final determination.

Step 5: Participate

Once selected, a family is officially on their way to becoming a homeowner. Early on in the process, Habitat provides a mix of hands-on and classroom learning through homebuyer education classes. From budgeting to small home repairs, landscaping to retirement planning, each course is aimed to help homeowners achieve success in their new homes, all while developing connections with their fellow future Habitat homeowners.

Each family who partners with Habitat completes a certain number of hours of sweat equity — typically between 200 and 400 — before move-in day. Often, any adult member of the immediate or extended family can contribute to this total; sometimes volunteers, co-workers and friends also help out. Hours can be accrued in a variety of ways, including working on a Habitat build site (their own or someone else’s), helping out in the Habitat ReStore, and assisting with administrative tasks in the Habitat office. Many Habitat affiliates also offer creative solutions so that children can be a part of the process by accruing sweat equity hours. For example, Chipola Area Habitat in Florida awards one hour of sweat equity for every “A” that a child earns in school.

Step 6: Close

Next, homeowners complete the paperwork for a mortgage. Habitat offers homebuyers an affordable mortgage with monthly payments taking into account household income. Mortgage payments made by Habitat homeowners help build more affordable homes.

Step 7: Move in

Once all of the forms are signed and all of the construction is complete, it’s time to celebrate! Friends and family, as well as the Habitat staff and volunteers who worked alongside the family on this journey, come together to dedicate the home. It’s the first of many joyous occasions to be celebrated in the new home.

Now, with the stability of a home they helped build, families have the foundation they need to climb higher. They can invest more in their family’s health and education. Others continue to find ways to give back to the community that welcomed them home. Many Habitat homeowners go on to pursue secondary degrees and career goals. But no matter where their journey takes them, they’ll achieve their dreams through the opportunities that homeownership helps create.