About

Habitat for Humanity’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We seek to put God’s love into action, by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Founded in Americus, Georgia in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has helped build, renovate and repair more than 1 million decent, affordable houses sheltering more than 5 million people worldwide. Habitat’s long-term dream is to eradicate housing projects around the world, and to replace them with solid, single-family homes built hand-in-hand by volunteers and the future owners themselves.

Athens Area Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1988 based on this mission. We are dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide by:

A Proven Model of Success

The success of a Habitat home is achieved due to the combined effort of staff, board members, sponsors, homeowners, and volunteers. Through this foundation of partnership we can actually improve the housing situation in the Athens Area. In addition to groups and individual volunteers, homeowners and occupants build as well. It is important that prospective homeowners and renters are eager and willing to work on their own home and other homes. This not only reveals the positive attitude, determination, and work ethic that is vital to success, but also shows the participants’ commitment to becoming a part of the Athens Area community.

Basic Requirements

Residents of Clarke County who meet the basic requirements and income eligibility guidelines can apply. Athens Habitat serves families who are unable to buy a home through existing affordable housing options, but who are able to make consistent mortgage payments and who are willing to become a working partner with Athens Habitat.

A Habitat home is a hand up, not a hand out.

In order to become homeowners, qualifying families work side by side with volunteers during construction, renovations, and repairs to cut cost and then families must repay the cost of building their home with no interest charge. 100% of the mortgage payments go back towards the funding of future Habitat houses.

All are welcome

Athens Area Habitat for Humanity has an open-door policy: All who believe that everyone needs a decent, affordable place to live are welcome to help with the work, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, political views or any of the other distinctions that too often divide people. In short, Habitat welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and also serves people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion. As a matter of policy, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations do not proselytize. This means that Habitat will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must either adhere to or convert to a particular faith, or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.