Importance of clean, decent, stable housing

In 2019, 37.1 million households in the U.S. were “housing cost burdened,” spending 30% or more of their income on housing. This represented 30.2% of all households nationwide. One in 7 households — 17.6 million in total — were “severely cost burdened,” spending half or more of their income on housing.(1) Throughout the world, people live in inadequate housing, and Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to providing decent, affordable homes for those in need.

Habitat for Humanity has shown that building homes does more than put a roof over someone’s head. When families have a stable, affordable home, they can:

  • Provide stability for their children
  • Gain improved health, physical safety, and security
  • Increase educational and job prospects
  • Be engaged in their communities

Housing is important to the quality of life, health and economic prosperity of the entire community:

Health

Inadequate housing impacts health, especially the health of children. After moving into Habitat homes, asthma and allergies are two conditions that dramatically improve in children.

Economic prosperity

A healthy housing market attracts businesses that depend on a range of housing options for their employees.

Education

Stable, healthy housing is one of the most effective strategies for improving school performance in low income children.

Transportation

When people can find good housing that they can afford near their work, it improves our transportation system by decreasing congestion and reducing commuting costs.

Environment

Habitat’s commitment to green building produces energy-efficient homes that are more affordable to maintain. Additionally, building housing near public transportation and thriving job centers results in diminished air pollution and congestion.