Habitat for Humanity

Habitat For Humanity International (HFHI) is a non-profit Christian ministry that is dedicated to the elimination of substandard housing and homelessness worldwide. There are several local groups in communities within the United States of Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity organizes volunteer groups that build simple, affordable houses that are sold to lower income families who need simple yet safe homes but cannot qualify for a bank loan. These families must meet requirements of need, ability to repay the cheap, interest free mortgage, and must be willing to continue work with habitat.

The money from these house payments the families pay monthly enter HFHI's private fund, which is used to fund further construction projects.

1. 1942: Koinonia Farm, an interracial Christian farming community is founded near Americus, Georgia
2. 1976: Millard and Linda Fuller found Habitat for Humanity, after being inspired by Koinonia Farm
3. 1996: President Clinton awards Millard Fuller the Presidential Medal of Freedom for creating Habitat for Humanity
4. January 31, 2005: The Fullers are dismissed by the board of directors
5. August 4, 2005: Johnathan Reckford is announced as the organization's new CEO
6. 2006: Headquarters move from Americus to Atlanta, Georgia

On January 31, 2005, HFHI's board of directors dismissed both Millard and Linda Fuller from their positions after allegations arose that Millard had sexually harassed a female employee in 2003. Although the termination remained final, representatives of the organization later admitted that the grounds for Fuller's termination may not have been completely true, and that he was likely dismissed due to a shift in corporate management.

• 1976: Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is established in Americus, GA

• 1977: Clive Rainey joins as its first volunteer

• 1978: San Antonio, Texas, forms the first U.S. HFHI affiliate outside of Georgia

• 1979: First HFHI house in Americus is built

• 1983: HFHI begins development of National Partners to coordinate work in their own countries

• 1984: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn become HFHI partners

• 1984: The first Jimmy Carter Work Project is held in New York City

• 1986: HFHI celebrates 10th anniversary with the 1000 Mile Walk from Americus to Kansas City

• 1987: Campus Chapters program begins. First chapter at Baylor University, Waco, Texas

• 1988: Global Village program and Corporate Donor department established

• 1989: Hurricane Hugo strikes South Carolina. All HFHI houses in the state survive.

• 1990: Bo and Emma Johnson, the first housing partners at Koinonia, pay off their mortgage

• 1991: HFHI's 10,000th house is built

• 1991: HFHI's first all-women-built house is completed in Charlotte, N.C

• 1992: HFHI's Native Peoples Initiative partners with tribes to address the need for reservation housing

• 1996: HFHI dedicates 50,000th house worldwide in Pensacola, FL

• 1997: U.S. Congress begins work with HFHI on "The Houses that Congress Built"

• 1997: Oprah Winfrey challenges viewers to "build an Oprah house." Within 2 years, the program has nearly met its national goal of 200 homes

• 1998: HFHI ranks as the 15th largest homebuilder in the U.S.

• Thrivent Builds: With Habitat for Humanity

• The Fuller Center for Housing: Building on Higher Ground

• Bridge of Hope National: Ending Homelessness in your Community . . .

• Emmaus: Speaking Out and Acting Together, to Defeat Poverty

• Official Site: National Coalition for the Homeless