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Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. Habitat works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing. The houses then are sold to those in need, Habitat's partner families, at no profit and with no interest charged. Partner families invest hundreds of hours of their own labor -- sweat equity -- into building their homes and the homes of others. Their mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.

Founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife Linda, and headquartered in Americus, Ga, HFHI's work in the United States is accomplished by affiliates. Habitat affiliates are independent, nonprofit [501(c) (3)] organizations that are organized by local citizens and operate with local boards and local volunteers. There are more 1,300 U.S. affiliates spread among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers provide most of the labor, and faithful individual and corporate donors provide the money and materials to build Habitat houses.

Habitat's mission is to eliminate poverty housing from the earth. Habitat has taken its vision of a world with no more shacks to 53 nations. To date, HFHI has completed nearly 60,000 simple, decent, affordable houses around the globe.