Housing need exists in every community

Cities all around the world have grown so rapidly that more than half of us now live in urban areas. In some areas, the living spaces themselves are overcrowded, as families fit into the housing they can afford.

Many families find themselves paying so much for where they live that how they live is deeply affected. Parents are forced to make impossible choices about food, health care and education.

In some communities, repairing and rehabilitating existing homes is as vital a need as new construction.

Insecure tenure means living with the constant threat of eviction. More than 80 percent of the world’s population does not have legal documentation of their property rights

An important, but often overlooked, aspect of decent housing is reliable access to clean water and proper sanitation.

Imagine living through a frigid winter in a drafty apartment.

Even the sturdiest structures are no match for the worst weather, so it should come as no surprise that low-income families living in substandard housing are among the most vulnerable when disaster strikes.

Circle the globe — or simply drive around your town — and you will see parents, children, whole communities struggling with the instability and lack of opportunity that follow when safe, decent, affordable places to live are hard to come by.

For too many families, it’s quite the opposite. Leaking roofs, crumbling walls, mold, dirt floors — all of these contribute to disease and unease in families living in impoverished conditions.

Habitat believes that new and improved homes are intricately tied to better opportunities for children and their parents. We are convinced that housing provides a critical path out of poverty.

When you build with Habitat, you help a family build a better future. Safety, security, health, opportunity — all of these can be found inside a Habitat house. When you volunteer, donate and advocate, those are the doors you open. Help us build today!