About Habitat for Humanity Canada

In Canada and around the world, low-income families are finding it increasingly difficult to access affordable housing that meets their basic needs. Poor living conditions and housing insecurity are what Canada's most vulnerable families must deal with every day, and spending a large portion of their household incomes on rent means that there is little hope of saving for a better future, to upgrade their skills, or for their children's education. Further, families without a safe and secure place to live are more reliant on healthcare and social services, and children are less likely to do well in school and are more likely to be low-income themselves once they reach adulthood.

Habitat for Humanity Canada seeks to break this cycle of poverty.

Utilizing volunteer labour and efficiently managing tax-deductable donations of money and materials, Habitat for Humanity Canada builds simple, decent houses, which are then sold to low-income families through a no-interest mortgage with no down payment required. When determining home payments, families' household incomes are taken into consideration in order to ensure affordability, enabling families to invest in their futures and break the cycle of poverty.

Besides an address, a home brings the stability, security and confidence needed to succeed.

HABI-FACTS

69 Habitat affiliate offices located in every province and territory are active in over 300 communities nationwide
Habitat affiliates accept home applications and select families to receive homes with affordable mortgages based on three criteria:
Level of need – families must be below the government-set Low Income Cut-Off
Ability to repay a Habitat mortgage – the families must have a stable income sufficient to cover mortgage payments as well as other costs associated with homeownership
Willingness to partner with Habitat – families must be willing to contribute 500 hours of volunteer labour, or “sweat equity”, in the building of their home
Habitat for Humanity Canada has been responsible for providing affordable homeownership to 2,000 low-income families nationwide, and has built thousands more homes abroad, while also being involved in development and skills training programs
Habitat for Humanity Canada is a member of Habitat for Humanity International, which is active in almost 80 countries and has built over 500,000 affordable homes for more than 2 million people, while also providing technical assistance including legal help, financial literacy training, and construction advice and training

To become involved with Habitat for Humanity in your community, by volunteering on a build or at an affiliate office or ReStore, visit www.habitat.ca to find the Habitat affiliate nearest you. If you’re interested in volunteering abroad, please visit www.habitat.ca/globalvillage.